U. Police arrest car-jacking suspects

University Police officers apprehended four car-jacking suspects in two separate incidents Tuesday. In the first incident, University Police Officer Al Fulpizio stopped a vehicle headed in the wrong direction on a one-way street west of campus at 1:30 a.m., according to Director of Police Operations Maureen Rush. Although the car's license and registration seemed valid, when Fulpizio noticed a plastic gun lying on the floor of the car, he had the dispatcher notify the car's owner, she said. When contacted, the owner reported to police that he had been car-jacked in Northeast Philadelphia, according to Rush. The driver of the car was then arrested on several counts. Later that night, Fulpizio, along with officers Darryl Blair and John Peterson, arrested three perpetrators in another stolen car, Rush said. Two male students had previously been robbed by the men in the space between two buildings at 4042 Walnut Street. The perpetrators then fled in the stolen vehicle, which was stopped by the three officers. The men were arrested after police recovered a .45-caliber semi-automatic weapon and subsequently discovered that the car had been reportedly car-jacked from the Northwest part of the city. "It is positive to hear that although bad things may happen, the University Police are competent enough to catch perpetrators," Rush said. She added that the department will be looking into why these car-jackings are occurring and what is bringing the suspects to the University.