Student brought to hospital after alleged robbery early Friday morning

One Penn student was robbed early Friday morning and brought to the hospital after an altercation with three men a block from Copabanana, Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said.

At around 1:15 a.m., three men allegedly robbed the Penn student in an alleyway behind the restaurant that leads onto Delancey Street. They punched him and stole cash, his cell phone and a watch that held sentimental value, Rush said.

Two Penn Police officers, stationed outside of Allegro, responded to the alleged robbery and, with the assistance of two separate Penn Police units, captured two of three suspects after the group scattered in different directions.

Fifteen minutes prior to the incident, Rush said, the same three men stole a different Penn student’s phone as she sat on her porch on a house in the 4200 block of Spruce Street.

When two of the perpetrators were apprehended, police recovered the female student’s phone and the male student’s stolen cash.

After the male student was brought to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, a separate Penn Police officer used her phone’s “Find My iPhone” app to track the student’s phone. Officers recovered his phone minutes later and, after an hours-long search of the area near the alleged robbery, ultimately recovered his watch and two hooded sweatshirts worn by the suspects under a fire escape of a house on the 4000 block of Baltimore Avenue.

“Our officers take this stuff personally. Since early this morning, we’ve had everyone work around the clock to find this watch,” Rush said.

The two suspects were both charged with robbery and other related offenses. The third suspect is still at large and is “immediately out of the area,” Rush said.

“We need all the Penn community to work with us to ensure their safety,” she added. “Travel in well-lit, populated streets on and off-campus. Use the walking escort service. Don’t go down alleys.”

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