3 suspects sought after armed robbery near NCSU campus

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Raleigh police are searching for three suspects in connection with an armed robbery near North Carolina State University's campus early Wednesday morning.

According to authorities, it happened around 1:30 a.m. in the 2500 block of Hillsborough Street at the parking deck of The Alley bowling lanes.

The incident prompted NC State to issue a Wolf Alert to the campus.

Officials said the three suspects got out of a gray sedan and pointed handguns at two victims, demanding money. The suspects also forced the victims to go to a Wells Fargo bank ATM machine to get cash, before stealing their cellphones, fishing poles, a watch and money.

The victims were assaulted by one of the suspects, however, the extent of their injuries are unknown at this time.

The pair were not affiliated with NC State, according to the university.

The suspects were described as African American men, who were all wearing shorts and some type of mask that covered their faces.

Student Phillippe Mendoza said he and his friends were at The Loft Bar and Lounge down the street when it happened, but they didn't notice anything.

"Honestly, it's a shock because me and my friends we come here every night to hang out and we'll go around and walk around the campus a lot and our safety has never come into question really because we just really never thought about it and it's really a huge shock to us," Mendoza said.

"This is an extremely rare occurrence for Hillsborough Street," said Jeff Murison, Executive Director of the Hillsborough Street Community Service Corporation. "We track incidents like this and I can't remember the last occasion of anything even remotely like this so its very unusual."

Here are some safety tips from the NC State University Police Department:

• Always walk in well-lighted areas at night.
• Don't walk alone after hours, use the Safety Escort at (919) 515-3000
• Report suspicious activity to the Police immediately

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Raleigh Police Department at (919) 831-6311.