Weekend robberies strike heart of campus

Efforts by University Police to deter the flurry of juvenile robbers that struck campus last weekend have yet to show results.

This weekend, teenagers committed three robberies and one assault on and around campus, Penn Police Deputy Chief of Investigations Mike Morrin said.

A visiting professor and a Drexel University student were sent to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania with minor injuries. Two suspects were arrested.

Detectives are investigating whether this weekend's attacks are the work of the same group of juveniles that police believe committed three of last weekend's crimes. Police have shifted personnel, paid officers to work overtime and deployed a tactical task force since last week's crimes.

The first robbery this weekend occurred at about 1:10 a.m. Saturday outside Van Pelt Library, located at 3420 Walnut St.

Three men approached a Drexel University student from behind and, without warning, punched and kicked him.

The assailants took an unidentified object from the victim. They then reportedly fled west on Walnut Street.

The victim described one robber as a 16 to 20 year old male, about 5 foot 9 inches tall, clean-shaven and wearing a dark running suit and dark shoes. The other assailants are also described as 16- to 20-year-old men dressed in dark clothing.

The victim was treated at HUP for minor injuries and released later that morning.

Almost immediately after the robbery, police received a report from a Penn student who said that he had been assaulted on the 3400 block of Walnut Street by three men matching the descriptions of the robbers from the earlier incident. Police think it likely that the robbers encountered the Penn student as they fled after robbing the Drexel student. It is not clear why the assault occurred. Nothing was taken from the Penn student, who was not injured.

At about 5:10 p.m. Saturday, an attempted robbery occurred on Smith Walk outside Hayden Hall. Two juveniles reportedly approached a 45-year-old visiting professor from behind. One of them reportedly punched the man in the face without warning. While one assailant held the victim, the other went through the professor's pockets. The professor yelled, attracting the attention of others nearby, who also began yelling for help. The assailants fled east on Smith Walk toward 33rd Street.

The professor described his attackers as two black males, about 16 years old. Both were reportedly between 5 feet 5 inches and 5 feet 7 inches in height with thin builds. One was further described as wearing a khaki green coat with a fur collar around the hood.

The professor was taken to HUP, where he received treatment for minor injuries and was released a short time later.

At about 9:10 p.m. Saturday, robbers struck near the other end of campus, this time on the 4200 block of Osage Avenue. Two 19-year-old male Penn freshmen were walking when they were approached by two juveniles who revealed a gun. The robbers reportedly took a cell phone and cash from the victims. Police arrived, but the robbers had already fled the scene. Officers disseminated suspect descriptions provided by the victims to Penn Police officers and to the Philadelphia Police Department in West Philadelphia.

About an hour after the robbery, Philadelphia Police Narcotics Strike Force officers who were working near Penn spotted two teenagers matching the descriptions inside Allegro Pizza, at the intersection of 40th and Spruce streets. A search of the suspects produced a cell phone and cash -- matching the items taken in the robbery -- as well as a BB gun styled to resemble a Ruger 9-millimeter handgun.

Police brought the two robbery victims to the scene, where the students identified the two 17-year-olds as the robbers. The suspects -- whose names are not being released because of their ages -- reside on the 5000 block of Chester Avenue in the Cedar Park neighborhood of West Philadelphia.

Morrin said that the quick work by the Philadelphia Police in making an arrest demonstrates the department's commitment to assisting Penn in combating crime. Numerous Philadelphia officers have been added to the University City area to deter crime.

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