Man sent to hospital in robbery on Irving

A man was sent to the hospital after being attacked with a baseball bat during a robbery on the 4000 block of Irving Street two weeks ago.

The incident took place on the street behind Strikes Bowling Lounge on Wednesday June 14 at about 10:30 pm.

According to Penn Police's Deputy Chief of Investigations Mike Morrin, a 24 year-old man who is unaffiliated with the University was approached by two other men.

One of the men demanded the victim's possessions.

After the victim refused, he was struck with a baseball bat several times. The men then fled east on Irving Street.

Morrin said the victim called the police, and two men were stopped soon after on the 500 block of S. 41st Street in connection with the incident.

Police arrested one of the men after the victim made a positive identification. The alleged weapon was also recovered.

Armstrong Ktou, a 21 year-old from the 5800 block of Fernwood Street in Philadelphia was arrested and charged with robbery, aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person.

The victim was treated at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and released.

A senior who lives on S. 41st Street and wished not to be named witnessed the incident

"I was walking down the street, and I saw a guy with a bat hit someone else and then the guy went into his home," she said. "A couple minutes later, the ambulance came."

She said that the attack does not make her feel unsafe at her house, but has made her change her routine at nigh.

"I'm going to be more careful about walking home at night. I've been taking 898-WALK more," she said referring to the Penn's walking escort service.

Craig Lindahl, a Wharton junior who lives on Irving Street said that hearing about the robbery made him feel uncomfortable.

"I've always felt it's a safe place," Lindahl said. "We always joke about it being a sketchy alley, but I never thought that something like this would happen."

Penn has recently been installing lighting and security cameras across campus and in off-campus housing areas to help prevent crime.

University President Amy Gutmann pledged $5 million to campus security in January after an increase in crime that month.

Trustees approved a $2.57 million resolution at their June meeting to add lighting on and around campus to "eliminate identified dark spots" on campus.

The plan covered blocks of West Philadelphia 30th to 43rd streets west to east and Market Street on the north to Baltimore Avenue on the south.

The project is being done in coordination with the University City District, Drexel University, the University of the Sciences and the University City Science Center.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.