Knife assault near University of Maryland leaves victim with minor injury

A knife assault in the 7200 block of Baltimore Avenue put students, apartment residents and late-night walkers back on alert in the Route 1 corridor just off the University of Maryland campus. The victim suffered a minor injury, but the suspect remained unknown after leaving the scene near College Park around 1:32 a.m. on Friday, May 1.

University of Maryland police identified the incident as an off-campus assault, second degree, in a community advisory issued by Lieutenant R. Hoaas. The victim told police he got into a verbal altercation with an unknown man, who then displayed a knife and cut him before leaving. Prince George’s County police responded to the area and later took the victim to a hospital for treatment of a minor injury. The county case number is PP26050100000093.

The location matters. The 7200 block of Baltimore Avenue sits just beyond the University of Maryland, College Park campus, in a stretch where campus life, apartment buildings, restaurants and traffic from Route 1 meet after dark. That overlap is where responsibility can blur. UMPD can warn the campus community, push out safety information and connect students to university resources, but the investigation itself is being handled by Prince George’s County police because the assault happened off campus.

Police are asking anyone with information or possible suspect identification to contact Prince George’s County Police Department. For students and nearby residents, the practical message is immediate: travel in groups when possible, stay alert on Baltimore Avenue and the Route 1 corridor, and use the safety tools already in place before a problem starts.

UMPD says walking escorts are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and can be requested at 301-405-3555 or through the UMD Guardian app. The university says more than 300 blue light or public emergency response telephones are installed across campus. Shuttle-UM’s NITE Ride service runs overnight during the academic year from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., seven days a week when the university is open.

College Park’s own public safety guidance also tells residents to report emergencies and suspicious activity to 9-1-1. For an off-campus assault like this one, that split between university support and county law enforcement is the reality near the campus line, where a minor injury can still signal a serious risk for anyone moving through the area after midnight.