A Harding student was attacked and robbed on campus Tuesday at about 8 p.m. in a parking lot near Center Street and Dr. Jimmy Carr Drive.
Senior Ethan Bundy said he was walking back to his apartment in West apartments after attending a campus forum when two men jumped out of a car and attacked him, stealing his backpack and wallet.
“I was … crossing through the parking lot about a 100 feet from the nurses’ station when this car pulled up playing loud music,” Bundy said. “Suddenly, someone jumped out of the car and attacked me from behind.”
Bundy said he initially wondered which of his friends would give him such a big hug that they threw him to the ground. Then the man who had tackled him started hitting him.
“I had hit my head really hard against the cement, and I was really dazed,” Bundy said. “But soon I realized they were looking for my wallet, which I was carrying in my backpack. Once I realized that, I shimmied out of my backpack straps and ran as fast as I could away from them.”
Bundy said he notified Public Safety and was taken to the emergency room to be treated for injuries suffered during the attack. He was released later that evening.
“I can’t recall the [last robbery] on campus,” said Craig Russell, director of Public Safety. “We had a robbery in ’95 when the business office was robbed. This is an exceedingly rare and very, very unusual situation.”
Russell said Public Safety is working with the Searcy Police Department in the investigation of the robbery and will keep students updated with information. Students, faculty and staff received crime alert texts and emails around 8:30 p.m. to notify the Harding community of the event and to advise caution when walking through campus alone at night.
The Searcy Police Department said another robbery took place at 8:30 p.m. on South Pecan Street when 25-year-old Earl Mingues was also attacked and robbed.
Bundy said he was doing fine and was able to attend classes the next day. He said he even got his backpack back.
“Public Safety did a great job,” Bundy said. “After they took care of me, an officer went back to where I was attacked and found my backpack sitting on the curb with my wallet in it. All of the cash had been taken out of it, but they didn’t take my debit card. I am doing good now, and I have great friends who are taking care of me.”
Both victims described the suspects as black males driving a light blue, older-model car, according to the Searcy Police Department’s press release. Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact the Searcy Police Department 501-268-3531.
-J.M. Adkison & Lauren Bucher
