Police charge Drexel student

Issue second warrant A Drexel University student turned himself in Friday afternoon -- and another suspect remains at large -- after being charged with the ethnic intimidation of two South Asian University students. Gregory Rosenbaum, a Drexel University student, is charged with ethnic intimidation, harassment, conspiracy, disorderly conduct and open lewdness, Philadelphia Police Sergeant Charles McMullin said. Another suspect charged in the incident on Friday, Victor Vencus, had yet to turn himself in as of Sunday night, according to McMullin. Philadelphia Police Sergeant Joe Descher said that he had expected Vencus to turn himself in on Friday. No warrants have been issued for the other three men who were involved in the incident. Hamilton Court residents College senior Bela Shah and Wharton senior Monika Parikh have accused the five men -- four of whom are Drexel students -- of repeatedly shouting racial slurs at them after the group left Cavanaugh's Restaurant at 39th and Sansom streets Thursday morning at about 2 a.m. Shah and Parikh, who are South Asian, said they were called "dotheads" and "Indian bitches," and told to "go back to [their] country." In addition, Shah said the case has been "mishandled" by police and she is planning to file a complaint against Philadelphia Police Southwest Detectives. According to Shah, four University Police officers and one Philadelphia Police officer responded to the scene, two of whom attempted to dismiss the case. University Police Officer Rudy Palmer, however, insisted on pursing the suspects. Of the five suspects, only Rosenbaum and Vencus were taken into custody by police, but were later released when no charges were filed, Shah said. She added that Southwest Detectives did not interview Parikh, Palmer or her while the suspects were in custody. Director of Victim Support and Special Services Maureen Rush met with Parikh and Shah later Thursday. After hearing their account of the incident, Rush said she called Southwest Detectives, which reopened the case later that day. Parikh and Shah's statements were then taken by Southwest Detectives on Thursday at about 4:30 p.m., over 14 hours after the incident occurred, Shah said. "We think that officer Rudy Palmer of Penn Police handled [the situation] well," Shah added. "We do not think that Philadelphia Police and Southwest Detectives handled it well."

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