A Binghamton University student was robbed of her cellphone during an assault near Twin River Commons late Monday night, according to Binghamton Police Department (BPD) Captain Jack Collins.
The 21-year-old female was approached by five females, who then assaulted her on the sidewalk outside the student apartment complex at 67 Washington St. Police responded at approximately 11:44 p.m.
Chris Valentine, a senior majoring in political science, said he encountered the victim following the attack outside the nearby University Downtown Center (UDC) on Washington Street Monday night before midnight.
“A girl ran up to us outside of UDC screaming with blood pouring down her face,” Valentine said. “She told us those girls jumped her and took her phone.”
Valentine said he called 911 and began to chase the group, which had started running through the Holiday Inn parking lot on Hawley and Washington streets.
“I accidentally hung up on the cops or vice versa, I stopped to call them back, picked up the girl’s phone, ran around the courtyard looking for them but they were gone,” he said.
BPD posted surveillance video of the suspects to its Facebook page, calling on anyone with information to come forward.
Twin River Commons sent out an email detailing numerous safety tips to its residents yesterday afternoon, but made no mention of the incident.
“It’s important to understand that while our community is gated, has an on-call service, and has controlled access, we cannot guarantee safety at all times, you as a resident must be aware of your surroundings and personal safety as well,” the email stated.
At the time of publication, the University has neither released a statement nor notified students of the assault.
Amy Donovan contributed reporting to this story.