McMasters Street sees armed robberies

A residential area popular among University students has been home to multiple armed robberies throughout the last month, local police officials said Wednesday.

According to an email released by the UNC Department of Public Safety, two armed robberies have occurred on or around McMasters Street in Chapel Hill since late November — including one armed robbery early this morning.

At about 2:30 a.m., three black males forced their way inside a residence on McMasters Street where four University students live, the email states.

Residents reported that at least two of the men were armed and held them at gunpoint while they took items.

The suspects then left the residence on foot.

The three black males were described as between 19 and 22 years old with slim builds.

According to the email, one suspect was about 5 feet 10 inches, while the other two suspects were likely over 6 feet tall.

The first armed robbery reported in the area occurred on Nov. 23 at about 3:30 p.m., said Sgt. Josh Mecimore, spokesman for the Chapel Hill Police Department.

Mecimore said the victim was walking in the McMasters and Jay Street area and was confronted by two male suspects wearing dark clothes.

One of the men claimed that he had a gun and stole the victims wallet, phone and backpack.

Mecimore said the victim believed one of the suspects was black, while the other was Hispanic.

Despite the close proximity of both robberies, Mecimore said he doesn’t think the McMasters Street area has more armed robbery incidents than other parts of the town.

But because of the high percentage of University students living in the area, he said police officials take extra precautions to ensure safety

Mecimore said investigations into both robberies are ongoing, and it is unclear if the two armed robberies are connected at this time.

Chapel Hill Police are asking anyone with information that may help to identify the suspects to contact the Chapel Hill-Carrboro-UNC Crime Stoppers at (919) 942-7515. Calls are confidential and anonymous. You can also submit information to Crime Stoppers online at www.crimestoppers-chcunc.org.