Armed robbery near LMC Lake puts community on alert

Police investigating Wednesday’s incident

A Los Medanos College student was robbed by an armed suspect Wednesday morning on the southwest side of the LMC Lake.

An emergency alert sent to staff and students following the incident reported the victim sustained no injuries.

The alert also explained police received a call about the robbery at 9 a.m. Oct. 4 and described the perpetrator as a Black male adult, about 25 years of age, 6 feet tall, 175 lbs., wearing a black hoodie and grey sweatpants and displaying a black handgun.

Police Services immediately notified the Pittsburg Police Department to assist them in an area search that included neighborhoods surrounding the college in hopes of finding the robbery suspect who reportedly took off toward Roundhill Drive and Gladstone Drive, south bound off the campus.

Because the incident is still under investigation, Lt. Chad Wehrmeister was not comfortable releasing information about the victim other than the fact he is male, but two students from one of Professor Ken Alexander’s art classes confirmed he is an LMC student.

“I am relieved to learn that the individual was uninjured,” said President Bob Kratochvil, adding that ensuring the safety of students, employees and campus visitors will always be a high priority. “I am confident that Police Services is conducting a thorough investigation about the incident and will make appropriate recommendations regarding safety measures people can take while on campus.”

One precaution, Wehrmeister explained, is for students to take care of their personal safety and be a good witness — this can further help Police Services in their success in apprehending perpetrators of crimes.

“One of the benefits of our notification system is that within a very short amount of time, we are able to get a message out to everybody,” said Wehrmeister explaining that “it often aids in finding not only evidence but witnesses who have seen something,” or someone.

LMC Journalism student Jesus Cano, who also writes for the Experience, was on his way to school around 8:50 a.m., when he saw an individual who met the description of the suspect that sent police circulating the area. But didn’t think anything of it until he later received an emergency alert around 10 a.m., and then proceeded to inform Police Services.

“I saw it and I was in shock because it all made sense to me why I saw all of that stuff,” said Cano. “It put me in a panic because I walk to school through there every single day.”

Wehrmeister advises students to make sure they are paying close attention to their surroundings at all times and if they become a victim of a crime to remember that “your personal safety is always more important that your property.”

“If you have a reason to believe you are in danger, then I advise people not to put themselves in greater danger,” said Wehrmeister. “The important thing to remember with crimes like this, and other crimes, is that we want people to be a good witness.”

More information will be released as the robbery investigation progresses.

Police Services urges anyone who may have been on the Delta DeAnza trail between Wednesday morning around 9 a.m. — or may have witnessed the robbery itself — to contact to them on their outside extension at (925) 439-1505.