University of Washington police responded to a report of an attempted robbery at about 10 p.m. yesterday, April 7, that occurred on Mason Place NE near the North Physics Laboratory. A man told police that he was walking to his hotel with his luggage when he was grabbed from behind by his backpack. Two suspects threatened him and tried to take his backpack and duffle bag. The man, who is not currently an employee or student of the UW, was able to escape after swinging his duffle bag at them. The suspects then ran south on the Burke-Gilman Trail. The man used a blue emergency tower in a nearby parking lot to call UW police. The suspects were described as men; one was about 5-foot-11 and the other was about 6-foot-2. No further description of the suspects was available.
If you witnessed the incident or have additional information about this crime or the suspect, please call the University of Washington Police Department at 206-685-8973 and reference case number 2026-5789. To report a crime in progress, or other suspicious activities or persons, call 911.