Police arrest man after mace spraying incident

Police arrested a man who ap - proached a young girl Monday af - ternoon on the 3700 block of Locust Walk and demanded $1.00 -- but then proceeded to spray her with mace. The female minor escaped the incident uninjured, and soon turned the tables on her aggressor by tell - ing two nearby University police of - ficers what had happened, accord - ing to the police. The two officers caught up with the suspect, who then tried to spray them with mace. But they managed to arrest him, and later recovered a Rambo-style knife and another & four-and-a-half inch knife from his boot. He was charged with aggra - vated assault. "It was a really good arrest," Uni - versity Police Lieutenant Susan & Holmes said. "I'm pleased to see this young woman had the presence of mind to report this incident so soon." Two female University graduates were the victims of simple assaults last Wednesday. One occurred on the 200 block of South 45th Street at 1:00 p.m., and the other occurred on the 4400 block of Locust at 6:31 p.m. The woman in the afternoon as - sault suffered minor bruises and had allegedly been attacked by the suspect before. Both victims identi - fied the same person as their al - leged attacker. In an unrelated incident reported at 9:54 p.m. Saturday, three sus - pects brandishing a black revolver and driving in a blue car ap - proached a male student walking near 37th and Spruce streets. He fled from the attempted gunpoint robbery without injury, however, & and the car drove away eastbound. In another unrelated incident, a beige 1989 Ford Tempo was discov - ered stolen from University parking lot #1 shortly past midnight on Fri - day. The car was reportedly stolen sometime between 7:00 a.m. and & midnight last Thursday. In an unrelated incident at 12:26 p.m. Monday, a woman living at & 4600 Spruce filed an indecent expo - sure complaint against a neighbor who exposed himself to her while screaming obscenities. In an unrelated incident at 4:58 p.m. that same day, a suspect held up a trolley driver shortly before the trolley was to arrive at the 36th and Sansom streets stop of the Green Line. The suspect fled along the tracks. At 9:42 last Thursday in an unre - lated incident, a male not affiliated with the University on the 39th & block of Walnut was held up at gun - point. The suspect demanded his MAC automatic teller machine & card. In an unrelated incident at 12:37 a.m. Saturday morning, a male stu - dent on the 4000 block of Spruce Street was hit during a strong arm robbery and had his wallet and Uni - versity identification stolen. A campus safety aid and a civilian in the area later helped identify the suspect, who was subsequently ar - rested. The wallet was not & recovered. Intruders also forced their way in to several University buildings this week. In one incident Friday, an intruder set off intrusion alarms in the David Rittenhouse Laborato - ries. Police responded, but were un - able to determine if anything was stolen. In an unrelated incident early & Tuesday morning, a man was spot - ted walking down 34th and Mora - vian streets with a computer at 2:38 a.m. Police traced the computer & back to the University's Admissions Office, where a window had been broken to gain entry. In an unrelated incident at 6:54 p.m. Friday, a male suspect at - tempted to steal seven Polo-style shirts from the Gap clothing store in the Shops at Penn at 3423 Walnut Street. The suspect was ap - prehended at the 36th and Sansom subway stop, with the clothing val - ued at $171.50. At 2:34 a.m. Tuesday, a burglar in an unrelated incident stole a bicy - cle from the Theta Xi fraternity & house at 3643 Locust Walk.

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