Campus Alert Archive
USC

Knifepoint at the ATM: USC Issues Timely Warning After Armed Robbery on South Hoover Street

CArobberytimely warninghigh confidence
Under Investigation

On April 4, 2024, at approximately 9:49 p.m., a suspect brandished a knife and robbed a victim who had just withdrawn money from the Bank of America ATM at 3201 South Hoover Street near USC's University Park Campus. The suspect fled westbound on Jefferson Boulevard on foot. USC's Department of Public Safety issued a Clery Act timely warning to the campus community.

Alerts
1
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
University of Southern California
Private R1 · CA
~49,000 studentsTrojansAlert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Verified verbatimUSC Department of Public Safety Timely Warning Archive773 chars
Reported Offense: Robbery Date & Time of Occurrence: 04/04/2024 9:49 p.m. Location: Outside Bank of America at 3201 South Hoover Street The suspect observed the victim withdrawing money from the Bank of America ATM. The suspect threatened the victim with the knife and demanded the newly withdrawn money. The suspect was last seen going westbound on Jefferson Boulevard on foot. If you are in immediate DANGER, call the Los Angeles Police Department at 911 or the USC Department of Public Safety at (213) 740-4321. If you have information relevant to the crime(s) reflected in this alert, immediately call DPS at (213) 740-6000 for the University Park Campus (UPC), (323) 442-1000 for the Health Sciences Campus (HSC) or (213) 485-6571 for the LAPD Southwest Division.
Verbatim text from the official USC DPS timely warning archive at dps.usc.edu/2024/04/04/robbery-122/
The ATM location at 3201 South Hoover Street is just south of Jefferson Boulevard, within the DPS patrol zone
USC timely warnings for robbery are among the most frequently issued Clery alerts in the country due to the urban campus environment
The alert does not include a suspect description, suggesting the victim may not have been able to provide one
Context

Background

The University of Southern California's University Park Campus sits in a dense urban neighborhood south of downtown Los Angeles, where property crime and robbery have been persistent concerns for decades. USC's Department of Public Safety issues Clery Act timely warnings at a high rate compared to peer institutions, reflecting both the volume of reported crime near campus and the university's commitment to compliance. The April 4, 2024 ATM robbery at the Bank of America branch on South Hoover Street follows a familiar pattern: suspects target students and community members withdrawing cash at ATMs near campus during evening hours. USC's TrojansAlert system, which delivers notifications via text and email, is the primary channel for these warnings. The DPS alert directed witnesses to contact either DPS or the LAPD Southwest Division, reflecting the overlapping jurisdictions that characterize policing near USC.
Analysis

Key Findings

ATM robberies near USC's University Park Campus are a recurring pattern reflected in multiple timely warnings per year
The alert was issued as a Clery Act timely warning rather than an emergency notification, indicating an ongoing but not immediate campus-wide threat
Overlapping jurisdiction between USC DPS and LAPD Southwest Division is typical for urban campus policing
Outcome
Suspect fled on foot westbound on Jefferson Boulevard. No arrest reported at time of alert. Investigation ongoing by DPS and LAPD Southwest Division.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Robbery - USC Department of Public Safety (April 4, 2024)
    dps.usc.edu
  2. Official
    Timely Warnings Archives - USC Department of Public Safety
    dps.usc.edu
Tags
robberyatmarmed-robberyknifetimely-warningurban-campuslos-angelescaliforniaproperty-crimeUnder Investigation
Added April 2026Updated April 2026Via ingestion