Student claims assailants kidnapped, robbed him

A College freshman told police he was forced into a car and ordered to withdraw $80 from several local MAC machines. A College freshman claimed he was forced into a car and robbed of $80 early Sunday morning after two assailants drove him to three local MAC machines and forced him to withdraw money from his account. The student was unable to provide police with more than a "vague" account of what happened, and police are looking at the incident as an "investigation of robbery/kidnapping," rather than as a "robbery/kidnapping," University Police Det. Cmdr. Tom King said. The student told police he was leaving a friend's off-campus house early Sunday morning when a car with two men in it approached him near the intersection of 41st and Spruce streets. A man -- who did not have a gun or other weapon -- got out of the sedan and ordered the student into the car, King said. The men then drove the student to three area MAC machines within about 15 minutes. The student told police he did not take any money out of the first machine because he could not remember his personal identification number (PIN), but withdrew $40 from each of the other two machines. The men took the $80 in cash, the student's wallet and his PennCard before letting him out of the car near 52nd and Market streets. The freshman then found a taxi and returned to the Quadrangle shortly before 5 a.m. Because his wallet was stolen, the student asked the taxi driver to wait while he went to his dorm and borrowed money from a friend. The student then approached a University Police officer outside the Quad and told him he had been robbed. Police are closely scrutinizing the student's account in the hope of determining exactly what happened. "Because of the fact that details are so vague and the complainant was having a difficult time recalling any of the specifics of the incident, the entire course of events is under investigation," King explained, noting that "the complainant is unsure of locations, times and other specific details." Police are searching for MAC receipts and witnesses in the hope of identifying from which MAC machines the student was forced to withdraw money, as well as the identities of the assailants, King said. In unrelated incidents this weekend, two students were injured in early-morning assaults. The first incident occurred Saturday at 4 a.m., when eight students punched a student in the face near the intersection of 40th and Spruce streets, possibly breaking his nose, according to University Police Sgt. Tom Rambo. Almost 24 hours later, two male students got into a fight on the 3700 block of Spruce Street, with one striking the other in the face during the attack. The student was later taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for examination. No further information was available on either event, which remain under investigation. Police have not made any arrests.

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