In a UH security alert sent to students and staff, UH police responded to a report of aggravated robbery at about 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday near the Student Disability Center located at 4369 Cougar Village Drive.
The woman told UHPD that she was walking when an unknown man approached her and displayed a firearm, the alert stated. The suspect then demanded that she send him money via CashApp, which she complied with, according to officials.
The suspect then took the woman's cell phone and wallet before fleeing on foot, according to the security alert.
The UH security alert described the suspect as a Black man with a thin build and about 5'6" tall. The alert also stated that he was wearing a grey Nike sweater, light blue skinny jeans, white Nike sneakers, and a black ski mask.
The weapon was allegedly a gray, semi-automatic handgun, according to the alert.
This marks the second armed robbery at the University of Houston campus in a week, following an armed robbery at the TDECU location in the UH Student Center on Jan. 7.
After the multiple robberies, the University of Houston gave the following statement:
"The recent robberies on our campus are unacceptable. We understand the deep concern these incidents have caused our students, staff and families. The safety of our community is our absolute priority, and criminal activity will not be tolerated. While our campus remains one of the safest flagship universities in Texas, even a single incident is too many.
We are not just reacting, we are investing. Since March 2025, we have accelerated a $21 million campus lighting and security project to overhaul campus lighting and visibility. We have also:
- Expanded our Force: Added 80 new safety and security personnel to increase our boots-on-the-ground presence.
- Enhanced Surveillance: Upgraded and repositioned more than 120 cameras for better real-time monitoring.
- Opened a New UHPD Substation: To further decrease response times and increase accessibility, our new central campus UHPD substation will open on Jan. 20 near the Welcome Center making it easier for the community to connect directly with officers, report concerns and access safety resources.
These investments are part of a long-term strategy that has historically kept our violent crime rate significantly lower than our peer institutions and the surrounding city. We will continue to evolve our tactics and technology to ensure that every member of our community feels secure on campus.
We encourage our community to utilize our on-demand safety escorts and Cougar Ride transportation. We will continue to work tirelessly to maintain the safe environment our community deserves."