CHAMPAIGN - People who live near the University of Illinois say they are worried after reports of several armed robberies near campus.
The robberies happened early Saturday morning at five different locations throughout the campustown area.
One robbery occurred on campus in Illini Grove, near the corner of Lincoln and Pennsylvania Avenues.
Four more were reported not far from the area, one at Wright and White Streets, one at White and Third Streets, another at Locust and Chalmers and one at Busey and Nevada Street.
U of I police say they believe all of the crimes were committed by the same person.
That suspect is described as a heavy set black male, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, wearing black clothing and a black knit cap. They believe he may have had help from another man, described as a thin, black male, about 6 feet tall.
Students say when they heard about the armed robberies in their neighborhood, they were shocked.
"It concerns me a lot because one of them happened just steps from the building I live in," said Andrew Mathena, a U of I Freshman."It definitely affects my night time activities. I got to be more careful."
Mathena says most of his friends are talking about the crimes and it seems everyone is scared.
Students were notified about the crimes through a school-wide mass e-mail, telling them to play it safe and not walk alone at night or put themselves in any compromising situation. It's advice students like Mathena are taking seriously.
"Definitely not going out alone at night, staying in a group, trying to take the buses everywhere instead of walking."
