Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Alumnus Assaulted on Local Side Street

A Georgetown alumnus was attacked and robbed by two suspects during the winter break.

Alex Vartanian (COL ’04) was walking north on the 1200 block of Potomac St. on Jan. 4 at 1:30 a.m. when he was approached by a man walking southbound, according to a Jan. 5 university public safety alert. Another male approached him from behind, displayed a knife, and demanded his valuables, the alert said.

After stealing credit cards, a watch and a cell phone, the men struck Vartanian and dragged him to an unknown location, leaving him there. The alumnus was uninjured in the attack. Although the etropolitan Police Department responded to the scene after being called by an area resident, the alert said that DPS was not notified of the incident until 1 p.m. on Jan. 5.

The first suspect was described as a 6’3″ black male with a “dark colored leather jacket” and the second suspect was 5’8″ with a stocky build, the alert said.

Dave Morrell, university vice president for safety, called on students to take measures to protect themselves and said the university would help victims of crime.

“The university takes incidences of crime very seriously. In this case, the victim was alone. It’s clear that it’s best to walk in groups and be aware of your surroundings,” he said. “It’s important to contact DPS right away if a criminal act takes place.”

Vartanian did not respond to requests for comment.

Although they did not involve Georgetown students, at least two other violent incidents took place over the winter break near campus.

According to MPD incident reports, on Jan. 2 at about 11 p.m. a woman was walking to her house on the 2800 block of Dumbarton St. when a man struck her with a silver handgun and “told [her] to shut up or he’d kill her” before stealing her property. Shortly after that incident, a suspect approached two different people, saying “you know this is not your lucky day. Give me your money.” He pushed the victims to the ground and stole a purse before fleeing.

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