A Towson University student was robbed and assaulted by four men outside Richmond Hall early Tuesday morning.
The victim, a male whose identity was not released by police, was sitting outside the building with two other students and a guest at 12:50 a.m. Tuesday, when four non-students approached. When the victim pulled out his wallet to obtain his OneCard for entry into the building, the suspects grabbed the wallet and began to flee. The suspects implied they had a weapon, Towson’s crime log said.
“The student yelled for the security officer and chased the suspects a short distance, where the four of them then began to assault him,” Lt. Joe Herring, a University police spokesperson, said.
The security guard on duty inside Richmond Hall notified University police of the incident. A security supervisor on routine patrol in an Abacus vehicle responded to the scene, causing the suspects to flee the campus.
University spokesperson Susanna Craine called the incident “proof of a good investment” in the security guards.
“The lesson it teaches us is that we’re certainly a penetrable place,” Craine said.
A security guard followed the suspects a short distance off-campus to an apartment building across York Road, where they were arrested a short time later and charged with robbery and second-degree assault.
The police identified the men as Michael Robertazzi, 19, of the 1000 block of Dartmouth Road; Damien Wardlow, 19, of the 4200 block of Loch Raven Blvd., and Lucas Gardner, 20 and Brandon Schofield, 19, both of the 8000 block of York Road.
The men were held on $50,000 bond. Robertazzi was found to have an open warrant in another jurisdiction in the state, as well. The reason for the warrant was unknown.
Second degree assault is the least serious level of assault. The victim had no apparent injuries when police officers arrived on the scene.
Towson University police took the lead in the investigation, while Baltimore County police assisted with the search for and arrest of the suspects.
Assistant vice president for Housing and Residence Life Jerry Dieringer said he was glad security was able to respond quickly.
“We’re pleased that the students used the security as a resource,” he said. “One of the reasons security is there is to help respond to incidents if they occur.”
Private security guards were placed in residence halls last October.
Dieringer noted the campus is located in a metropolitan area.
“Students should know that they’re essentially in a city,” he said. “They need to take precautions.”
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