Police arrested three female juveniles on Sunday evening after they allegedly attacked two female students and robbed one of those students on Locust Walk, Division of Public Safety officials said.
The three juveniles, all unaffiliated with the University, approached a female student around 6 p.m. at the 3600 block of Locust Walk and allegedly punched her.
The student dropped her phone on the ground and the three juveniles, ages 12 through 14, allegedly picked up her phone and ran up the street, Penn Police Deputy Chief of Investigations Michael Morrin said.
The female student, a College senior who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons, said she immediately stopped a student and a runner who were passing by and that they called the police from a yellow call box.
Shortly after, the same three juveniles approached another female student on the 3800 block of Locust Walk, allegedly punched her and unsuccessfully attempted to steal her phone.
According to Division of Public Safety Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush, police stopped and arrested the juveniles on 3900 block of Locust within minutes after this second incident and they were taken into custody. The stolen phone was recovered and returned to the student, Morrin said.
Rush attributed the timely arrests to the PennComm system, which enabled police to follow the juveniles after the first victim called the police.
The three juveniles, who have no previous criminal records, are being charged with robbery, theft, receiving stolen property, conspiracy and simple assault.Rush said the judge could order the juveniles to stay away from a designated area such as Penn’s campus, but the only current requirement is that they wear an electronic monitoring system.
The first female student that was attacked said she was shaken by the whole incident.
“I found it disheartening and sad to witness violence like this, especially from such young girls,” she wrote in an e-mail. “I only wish that whatever their punishment or consequence, it will effect change deep within them.”
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