Robbery ends in injury for victim, officer and suspect

A male student, a University Police officer and a robbery suspect were injured early yesterday morning, during a robbery and subsequent car accident, University Police Sergeant Larry Salotti said last night. The events began at 12:54 a.m. yesterday, when two men assaulted and robbed a student of his wallet at Williams Hall -- located at 36th and Spruce streets -- Salotti said. He said the student sustained injuries to his mouth because one of the assailants kicked him in the face. Salotti said the suspects fled in a silver Honda which ultimately crashed into two University Police cars -- which had been pursuing it -- in the 3300 block of Spruce Street. A University Police officer and a suspect sustained injuries as a result of the crash and were taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for treatment, Salotti said. Salotti said the suspect suffered lacerations to his face and a broken right thumb, but added that he did not know the severity of the injuries suffered by the officer. The student refused hospital treatment, he added. Both suspects were positively identified by the student and they were arrested and charged with robbery. In an unrelated incident, a female Escort driver was assaulted by a passenger early yesterday morning on 36th Street between Walnut and Chestnut streets, Salotti said. The driver -- a student -- reported that the passenger made threats at her and threw a microphone at her around 3:20 a.m. yesterday morning, Salotti said. He said the microphone struck her in the face. Salotti said Victim Support Services was notified of the incident and added that he did not know if the assailant was a student. In an unrelated incident, an officer was injured yesterday afternoon when he tried to stop two males for questioning, who were allegedly eyeing students' property in Van Pelt Library, Salotti said. The Van Pelt building administrator notified University Police of the suspicious males and when police responded at around 4:06 p.m., the males were in the process of leaving the building, Salotti said. He added that when the officer attempted to stop them for investigation, one male fled and the other male struck the officer and ran. Salotti said the assailant was arrested a short time later by University Police and charged with the assault of a police officer. The other suspect has not been caught. In an unrelated incident, six to seven juveniles assaulted a female student last night on the walkway between Houston and Williams halls, Salotti said. Salotti said the group of youths allegedly rode past the female and struck her from behind at around 8:30 p.m. He added that the student was uninjured in the attack. A University Police officer stopped the group following the attack, but they ran and scattered themselves, Salotti said. He added that a seven-year-old member of the group was stopped and was being released to a parent. Salotti said three other youths left their bikes behind after they were stopped. He added that Unversity Police are holding the bikes for safekeeping.