A University of Wisconsin female student was the victim of a strong-armed robbery Thursday night on the 200 block of North Lake Street outside of Witte Hall.

According to a UW Police Department incident report, at approximately 9:25 p.m., the unidentified victim was grabbed by the shoulders and shaken. The suspect, who escaped on foot following the encounter, demanded money.

No injuries were sustained during the robbery.

UWPD Sgt. Jerome Van Natta said the student resides in the dorms, however he was unable to confirm whether she was a resident of Witte Hall.

Van Natta added there was no weapon involved, and the UWPD will continue to investigate the incident. He said no description of the suspect could be provided because the victim’s depiction was “very vague.”

“We’ve had robberies all over the downtown area — this is kind of a continuing pattern,” Vannatta said. “I would say we’ve probably seen an increase over the last several years (in robberies).”

According to Van Natta, the UWPD has taken some measures due to the rise in incidents over the past few years, including increased patrols and other measures.

Ald. Bryon Eagon, District 8, said he was “blown away” when he first heard of the report.

“This is the last kind of news anyone wants to receive when we have been making significant strides relating to safety in the campus and downtown area,” Eagon said. “It is an extremely tragic incident. Hopefully not only can the victim remain safe and uninjured, but also, hopefully we can work to prevent these kinds of actions in the future.”

Eagon stressed the need to continue proactive practices when in these situations, including advocating the use of SAFEwalk and SAFEride.

He added such incidents are upsetting, and students and police should work together to prevent future problems.