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Columbia

Followed Into the Vestibule: Clery Alert After Attempted Robbery at 189 Claremont Avenue Near Columbia's Morningside Campus

NYrobberytimely warninghigh confidence
Under Investigation

On November 24, 2024, at approximately 5:02 PM, an attempted robbery occurred in the vestibule of 189 Claremont Avenue on Columbia University's Morningside Campus. A non-affiliate was followed into the building by a suspect who attempted to take their property while striking them. Columbia Public Safety issued a Clery Crime Alert. The same suspect committed similar crimes at nearby addresses in December 2024.

Alerts
1
Response
Killed
0
Injured
1
Institution
Columbia University
Private R1 · NY
~36,649 studentsColumbia Emergency Notification System
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

INITIAL ALERTEmail
On Sunday, November 24, 2024, at around 5:02 p.m. an Attempted Robbery occurred in the vestibule of 189 Claremont Avenue at the Morningside Campus. The NYPD reported that a non-affiliate was followed into the vestibule of 189 Claremont Avenue by an individual. The suspect is described as male presenting, with a medium complexion, medium build, with a beard and mustache, and wearing a blue and grey knitted hat, blue winter coat, blue jeans, red, black, and white sneakers, and carrying a red and black backpack.
Excerpted verbatim from the Columbia Public Safety Clery Crime Alerts page entry for the November 24, 2024 attempted robbery
Uses Columbia's standard 'male presenting' phrasing for suspect descriptions, distinct from the more common 'male' used by NYPD bulletins
189 Claremont Avenue is graduate student housing immediately adjacent to the Morningside Campus
The same suspect description was later linked to similar vestibule incidents at 195 Claremont Avenue (Dec 18, 2024) and 549 Riverside Drive
Context

Background

On November 24, 2024, at approximately 5:02 PM, a non-affiliate entering 189 Claremont Avenue on Columbia's Morningside Campus was followed into the vestibule by a suspect who attempted to take their property while striking them. Columbia University Public Safety issued a Clery Crime Alert with a detailed suspect description: male, medium complexion, medium build, wearing a blue and grey knitted hat, blue winter coat, blue jeans, and carrying a red and black backpack. The same individual committed similar crimes at 195 Claremont Avenue on December 18, 2024, and at 549 Riverside Drive, indicating a serial pattern targeting building vestibules in the area. Columbia's crime informationals page documented additional incidents throughout the fall semester, as the area around Morningside Heights has historically faced safety challenges.
Analysis

Key Findings

The suspect followed the victim into a building vestibule, a tactic that exploits the moment when residents unlock building doors
The same individual was connected to at least two additional robberies in the area in December 2024, indicating a serial offender
The detailed suspect description in the Clery alert was unusually specific, aiding community awareness
Outcome
The victim sustained minor injuries during the altercation. The suspect was described as male, medium complexion, medium build, with a beard and mustache. The same individual was connected to subsequent robberies at 195 Claremont Avenue and 549 Riverside Drive in December 2024.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
  2. Official
Tags
robberyattempted-robberyvestibuleserial-offendermorningside-heightsnew-yorkivy-leagueprivate-universityUnder Investigation
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion