Harvard Extension School Student Victim of Attempted Robbery

A male Harvard Extension School student was the victim of an attempted unarmed robbery on Francis Ave. on Monday, according to a community advisory released yesterday afternoon by the Harvard University Police Department.

The student reported to HUPD yesterday that two unknown men approached him, grabbed him, and demanded his money as he was walking on Francis Ave. at about 8:30 p.m.

The two offenders then fled as a vehicle drove on a street nearby, the advisory stated. The victim was left uninjured and no property was taken.

According to a message from HUPD spokesperson Steven G. Catalano, the incident is currently under investigation and further details could not be provided at the time.

This incident marks the third robbery or attempted robbery of a Harvard affiliate in the past week, for a total of more than 10 robberies near Harvard campus since Nov. 1.

During this time, two robberies occurred within the vicinity of Francis Ave, which runs north-south near Harvard Divinity School.

On Nov. 1 at 11:11 p.m., a Harvard affiliate was robbed a knife point near the intersection of Scott St. and Kirkland St.

Six minutes later that same night, another Harvard affiliate was robbed at knife point at the intersection of Bryant St. and Scott St., just one block away. The student suffered a minor stab wound.

Both victims on Nov. 1 described suspects as African-American males, one “very heavy set” and the other “tall and thin.”

The victim in the latter incident resisted handing over his property after asked by the suspect, at which point he was stabbed in the upper arm by the tall male while the heavy offender assaulted him.

Francis Ave. is not on the map of designated safety pathways released by the Harvard University Police Department.

—Staff writer Xi Yu can be reached at xyu@college.harvard.edu.