{ "id": "2024-04-04-usc-atm-robbery", "slug": "usc-atm-robbery-2024-04-04", "institution": { "name": "University of Southern California", "shortName": "USC", "state": "CA", "type": "private-r1", "alertSystemName": "TrojansAlert", "enrollment": 49000 }, "incident": { "date": "2024-04-04", "type": "robbery", "cleryCategory": "timely-warning", "resolution": "under-investigation", "headline": "Knifepoint robbery at an ATM near campus prompts a timely warning", "headlinePublic": "Knifepoint robbery at an ATM near campus prompts a timely warning", "summary": "On April 4, 2024, at approximately 9:49 p.m. PDT, a suspect brandished a knife and [robbed a victim who had just withdrawn money](https://dps.usc.edu/2024/04/04/robbery-122/) from the Bank of America ATM at 3201 South Hoover Street near USC's University Park Campus.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.", "outcome": "Suspect fled on foot westbound on Jefferson Boulevard. No arrest reported at time of alert. Investigation ongoing by DPS and LAPD Southwest Division." }, "alerts": [ { "sequence": 1, "type": "initial", "timestampApprox": "Shortly after 9:49 p.m. PT, April 4, 2024", "channel": "email", "verbatimText": "Incident Description: 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 The suspect threatened the victim with the knife and demanded the newly withdrawn money.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.\n\nReported Offense: Robbery\n\nDate & Time of Occurrence: 04/04/2024 9:49 p.m.\n\nLocation: Outside Bank of America at 3201 South Hoover Street\n\nReport Number: 2401443\n\nVehicle Description: None\n\nSuspect Description (provided by reporting party):\n\nAge:25 years old\n\nEye Color:Unknown\n\nHair Color:Dark brown\n\nHeight:Between 5 feet 2 inches and 5 feet 4 inches\n\nRace:Hispanic\n\nSex:Male\n\nWeight:Medium build\n\nAdditional Description:Wearing a black jacket, black pants, black shoes with white laces, and a white bandana around his mouth.\n\nWeapon:Knife\n\nClick the link(s) below to view images related to this alert:\n\nImage 1\n\nIf you are in immediate DANGER, call the Los Angeles Police Department at 911 or the USC Department of Public Safety at (213) 740-4321.\n\nPlease note that race, ethnicity, gender and/or religious affiliation are NOT considered the basis for suspicion; only behaviors are considered suspicious.\n\nIf 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.\n\nThe Department of Public Safety (DPS) issues Crime Alerts to the university community, in compliance with the Clery Act, when a criminal incident occurs within USC’s Clery geography and represents either a serious or continuing threat to the safety of students, employees and others.\n\nThe purpose of this warning is to aid in the prevention of similar crimes by alerting the community about the incident and to provide information which allows individuals to make informed decisions about their personal safety.\n\nUSC Department of Public Safety Recommendations – Robbery\n\nNot every person you meet has good intentions. Be cautious of strangers and keep a safe distance. There is safety in numbers, so travel with friends.\n\nAvoid using cell phones or other technology while walking as criminals target distracted, inattentive individuals using them.\n\nIf you are the victim of a robbery remain calm and do not resist. Assure the robber you will cooperate and take no action that may jeopardize your safety. Do not make any quick or unexpected movements. Follow the robber’s direction, but do not offer more than they ask for. Don’t argue with the robber.\n\nAfter the robbery, go immediately to a safe location and report the crime to law enforcement. Call DPS emergency for UPC at (213) 740-4321, for HSC call (323) 442-1000 or call 911 for LAPD.\n\nIf you observe a crime in progress, STAY CALM AND CALL DPS emergency for UPC at (213) 740-4321, for HSC call (323) 442-1000 or call 911 for LAPD.\n\nBe a good witness: It is important to recall what you observed and provide as many details as possible to law enforcement such as: the sex, race, age, height, hair color, clothing, tattoos, scars of any suspects and a description of the make and model of any vehicle used in the crime and its license plate if possible.\n\nDo not attempt to apprehend any suspects or perpetrators of crime.\n\nOther options to contact DPS, to report crime, ask for help and to receive information:\n\nBlue light emergency phones are located throughout UPC and HSC. The phones are connected to the USC DPS’ 24-hour communications center and identify the phone location if the caller is unable to speak. The phones can be used to request help, an escort, report suspicious activity and to report crimes. For more information visit: Emergency Blue Light Phones | Department of Public Safety | USC.\n\nSecurity Ambassadors : In addition to DPS officers who patrol a 2.5 mile radius around USC’s campuses, USC contracts with “Security Ambassadors” to patrol street corners in nearby neighborhoods and to observe and report crime and suspicious activity. This security force wears bright yellow jackets so you can easily spot them. If you need assistance, look for a Security Ambassador.\n\nGet a Ride: Lyft is now available at HSC and UPC to cover shared rides. Lyft at UPC is open from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week. Lyft at HSC is open from 5 p.m. to midnight, Monday through Friday only. Please visit the USC Lyft page for more information: https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/campus-cruiser-program/how-to-use-lyft/\n\nVerify your driver and car: Once you have requested a Lyft ride, you can view the driver’s rating. When your ride arrives, make sure the driver’s photo, license plate number and vehicle description match. Never take a ride you did not request or get into a car that doesn’t match the details provided by the Lyft app.\n\nGo the extra mile: The Lyft app’s “share your ETA” function allows you to invite friends to see your trip in real-time. The app will draft a text message you can share with friends that includes your ETA and a link to a live map that allows them to track your trip. Too much effort? Call a friend and stay on the line while you’re in the car instead.\n\nLiveSafe APP: To quickly make emergency push button calls to DPS or 911 on your mobile phone, download the Trojan Mobile Safety APP “LIVESAFE” from Google Play or the Apple iTunes Store. For more information regarding LIVESAFE visit https://dps.usc.edu/services/safety-app/.\n\nTrojansAlert: Register for USC’s emergency notification system TrojansAlert t o allow university officials to contact you during an emergency by sending messages via text message and email. For more information visit: http://dps.usc.edu/services/trojans-alerts/. (Please note that students, staff and faculty automatically are signed up for TrojansAlerts.)", "isVerbatimConfirmed": true, "sourceUrl": "https://dps.usc.edu/2024/04/04/robbery-122/", "sourceDescription": "USC Department of Public Safety Timely Warning Archive", "annotations": [ "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", "2026-09-21 second deep audit b51 P4 a1-noledger-single-alert-public-case. Recapture official product at product boundary. Dual html.parser walk+regex. Cap-exempt R1." ], "characterCount": 5818 } ], "context": "The [University of Southern California's University Park Campus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Southern_California#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](https://dps.usc.edu/category/timely-warnings/) 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](https://dps.usc.edu/2024/04/04/robbery-122/) 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. A separate, unrelated USC incident earlier that same day, an afternoon apartment burglary and hours-long standoff on West 30th Street, is documented as its own case in this archive.", "keyFindings": [ "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" ], "sources": [ { "title": "Robbery - USC Department of Public Safety (April 4, 2024)", "url": "https://dps.usc.edu/2024/04/04/robbery-122/", "type": "official-archive" }, { "title": "Timely Warnings Archives - USC Department of Public Safety", "url": "https://dps.usc.edu/category/timely-warnings/", "type": "official-archive" } ], "confidence": "high", "tags": [ "robbery", "atm", "armed-robbery", "knife", "timely-warning", "urban-campus", "los-angeles", "california", "property-crime" ], "dateAdded": "2026-04-04", "lastUpdated": "2026-09-21", "addedBy": "ingestion" }