A Penn undergraduate finally got her iPod back yesterday, and all it took was an undercover sting operation by the Penn Police.
Detectives made two arrests and recovered the iPod that was being held for ransom since this past weekend.
The 21-year-old woman, whose name was not released, had her iPod taken from her apartment at 3927 Spruce St. sometime over the weekend. She became aware of the theft Monday when she received a call from someone who said that he would sell the music player back to her for $100.
The caller said to meet him at the intersection of 42nd and Brown streets in the Belmont section of West Philadelphia.
After receiving the ransom demand, the student called Penn Police and explained what had happened.
Detectives decided to send an undercover female Penn Police officer in an unmarked car to make the exchange so that they could take the thieves into custody.
Police secured the area around the intersection, putting a contingent of officers and detectives nearby.
A complication arose when the victim received a call from the thieves asking her to go to the intersection of 44th and Brown streets instead.
Police scrambled and relocated their personnel to that intersection.
The scenario repeated itself when another call came, this time moving the exchange to the intersection of 46th and Brown streets, which is in the Mill Creek neighborhood.
As the undercover officer approached the intersection, two boys approached the car.
The officer, posing as the student, refused to surrender the money without first seeing the iPod. The suspects would not show her the music player.
At this point, police moved in and made the arrests.
A subsequent search revealed that one of the boys was in possession of the iPod, which was recovered undamaged.
Arrested were two 16-year-old males, one from near the intersection of North 50th Street and Haverford Avenue and the other from around the intersection of North 46th Street and Fairmount Avenue, both of which are in the Mill Creek neighborhood of West Philadelphia.
The suspects' names are not being released because they are juveniles.
They are charged with theft, receiving stolen property and conspiracy.
Penn Police Deputy Chief of Investigations Mike Morrin called it "a real good sting operation all around," citing excellent work by patrol officers and detectives.
It is still unclear exactly how the iPod was taken, but there were reportedly guests at the victim's house this weekend. Police are looking into whether they may have been involved in the crime.
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