A card game among Stony Brook University students took a frightening turn early Tuesday when two masked men entered their dormitory, demanded money and hit a young man in the head after the students said they didn't have cash, law enforcement officials said.
News of the attempted burglary came on the same day police announced they were searching for a man believed to have stolen more than 20 credit cards from women's purses in eight university buildings. Assistant Chief Douglas Little of the university police said investigators do not believe the credit card thefts are related to the attack.
The men wearing ski-type masks entered an open dorm room where six students were playing cards about 12:30 a.m. One of the students said he was hit with what may have been a pistol, but did not require medical attention, police said.
The men were driven away by an accomplice in a dark-colored sedan, possibly a Mercedes-Benz, university police said. Little said the burglars apparently knew a card game was going on, but it was not known how they entered the Eisenhower College building, which requires an identity card.
"There are strong leads," Little said at a news conference.
The credit card thief has targeted unoccupied academic offices, discreetly stealing the cards from purses, leaving many women unaware they were burglarized until they try to make a purchase, police said. The man's image has been captured on electronic surveillance, and he has used the cards to buy more than $25,000 worth of railroad tickets, clothes and Target gift cards in Long Island and Queens, police said.
"It's a crime of opportunity," said Little, who added that police were increasing patrols and urging students and faculty to take basic safety precautions and report any suspicious activity. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS. A cash reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for tips leading to an arrest.
Last fall, a rash of attacks on students prompted heightened security. In October, two students reported being accosted, one in her dormitory and the other while jogging. Two students also reported being robbed in separate incidents involving two men, one with a knife. One of those students was arrested later on a charge of falsely reporting a crime.
news source : http://www.newsday.com/news/local/crime/ny-lisuny0206,0,6742163.story
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