UNC students mugged during weekend visit to NCSU

RALEIGH, NC (WTVD) -- Two UNC students visiting friends at N.C. State University this weekend were robbed and assaulted by four men.

Preston Lennon from Wilmington and Charlie McGee of Huntersville are both UNC sophomores who rode together Friday night to Raleigh but went their separate ways once they reached the N.C. State campus.

Lennon says it was about 2:30 A.M. Saturday that he was walking on Pogue Street just a block off Hillsborough Street across from the NCSU campus.

"This car just comes past me in the intersection. Three or four guys jump out just like one hit, two hit, then I'm down, a little bit of kicking," Lennon told ABC11.

Lennon says one of the attackers grabbed his iPhone but another suspect dropped his cellphone and they fled.

He says he turned that phone over to police but he's not sure if it helped police arrest the four men later charged in the crime.

Sharif Heyward, 21, Ali Shaw, 17, Najae Riley, 16 all of Raleigh are charged with Common Law Robbery and Larceny from a Person.

Also charged with the same crimes is Asante McCullers, 18, of Garner.

But Lennon and McGee had no idea the other was a victim until McGee called Lennon the next morning before leaving Raleigh.

He says, '"Dude, I got mugged last night.' And I was like, 'Wait, I got mugged too,'" McGee told ABC11

Both students received minor injuries in the attacks, mostly just abrasions from being punched or pushed to the ground.

McGee says he and a friend were walking on Hillsborough Street when a group of guys approached them and struck up a conversation.

"All of sudden one of them just shoves me like as hard as he can in the side. There's a bit of a scuffle. There's a bit of, you know, like kicking," McGee said.

One of the suspects grabbed his wallet and they all took off.

Raleigh police ended up arresting the suspects at the intersection of Hillsborough and Enterprise Streets not far from where McGee was robbed.

"I would certainly not presume to judge them or try to make any assumptions about who they are. But, yeah, it's unfortunate that there are people out there that think that's the way to handle things in life," McGee said.

The four suspects are still in jail and are expected to face a judge for the first time Tuesday.