Stanford Report, Jan. 14, 2004

Man uses ruse to rob woman on campus

A man posing as a motorist in need of assistance robbed an elderly woman inside her residence on Lathrop Drive on the Stanford University campus.

The home invasion robbery occurred just after 11:30 p.m. Thursday evening when the suspect rang the doorbell of a residence on Lathrop Drive and told the female occupant that his car was broken down and he needed to use a telephone.

The woman let the suspect in and he grabbed a diamond ring off her finger and then fled the house in an unknown direction.

The suspect was described as a male of Hispanic or Middle Eastern descent in his 20s or early 30s with a muscular build. He is approximately 6 feet tall and weighs about 200 pounds. He has black hair approximately 1/2-inch long and was wearing dark, oval-shaped sunglasses. He was wearing a short-sleeved gray or light-colored shirt and light-colored pants.

Anyone with information about the crime or the suspect is asked to call the Stanford University Department of Public Safety at (650) 723-9633.