Deputies said they are looking for suspects in two violent home invasions in Orange County.
The first one happened Tuesday afternoon at the Village of Alafaya Club apartments, on Alafaya Club Drive.
According to the Orange County Sheriff's Office, two men forced their way into the apartment of two University of Central Florida students after a male student answered the door.
Investigators said the victim was ordered to the ground at gunpoint, while a female student in the apartment ran to a bedroom and grabbed her own gun.
That caused the suspects to drop their weapon — which turned out to be a pellet gun — and run out of the apartment.
A second home invasion happened just after midnight Wednesday morning on Sky Lake Circle, not far from Sand Lake Road.
Investigators said two men forced their way into a residence at the Las Palmas Apartments, pistol-whipped a man inside, and then took his wallet and an iPad.
Deputies said the men then ransacked the apartment and fled.
Investigators said they did not believe the two incidents were connected.
The University of Central Florida Police Department released the following statement on Wednesday:
Safety if the UCF Police Department's highest priority, and it's important for students to be vigilant, too. Recent burglaries and thefts near campus are reminders that precautions such as keeping your homes and vehicles locked and not answering the door to strangers are an important part of keeping the community safe.
Courtney Gilmartin, public information officer for the UCF Police Department, said the agency will be putting out an all-campus email Wednesday afternoon with some tips to remind students of precautions they can take to stay safe.