University of Minnesota leadership has alerted its campus that two masked men robbed a female student at gunpoint as she stood at a residential street corner just off-campus early in the afternoon.

The holdup occurred about 1:20 p.m. Wednesday at 12th Avenue and 7 Street SE., about 3 blocks west of several of the university's athletic buildings.

The two suspects "pointed a gun" at the 20-year-old student and "grabbed her phone and backpack," read a statement from city police.

The woman and others nearby saw the suspects flee in a car, which was located near the owner's home, police added.

There have been no arrests. Police did not release detailed descriptions of the suspects.

Police said in their statement that this crime "does not match any pattern of other robberies."

While the number of thefts "have dropped in recent years," University Vice President Pamela Wheelock noted in the campuswide alert issued Thursday about the latest incident that "theft is still the most commonly reported crime on campus and had been for more than a decade."

Wheelock also noted the arrest of a thief who stole items March 6, in the Carlson School of Management and Middlebrook Hall. A backpack was stolen in the Carlson School, and a computer and phone were stolen from a Middlebrook Hall dorm room, she said, citing police reports.

Combining information from security cameras and a description provided by a student, police spotted the 22-year-old suspect and arrested him. The backpack was recovered at a nearby cafe.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482