U. Police arrest 3 robbery suspects

University Police arrested three men Wednesday night who they believe are responsible for many of the recent armed robberies near campus, and investigators predict they will arrest those involved in other incidents by the middle of next week. After a "lengthy chase" Wednesday, police apprehended two men they observed robbing a Penn student on 42nd Street between Pine and Baltimore streets at 10:10 p.m., according to University Police Investigator Aloisius Peterson, who said a third accomplice escaped during the chase. Investigators said they believe the three men committed six other robberies between September 3 and September 18 -- at 34th and Sansom streets, 34th and Locust streets, 34th and Pine streets, 43rd and Locust streets and 41st and Chestnut streets. "This particular group just happened to pick on Penn," Peterson said. Officers Mike Sylvester and Chris Kennedy, who were working undercover, chased and arrested the two armed robbery suspects. Uniformed officers Ray Rodman and Len Harrison also helped in the arrest. Sylvester and Kennedy arrested another armed robbery suspect at 43rd Street between Locust and Spruce streets at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The two officers were acting undercover during that arrest as well. University Police believe the man robbed the 7-11 convenience store at 38th and Chestnut streets three times between June and the end of August, Peterson said. He added that Sylvester and Kennedy caught the suspect after a 7-11 employee recognized the man and notified police. After the arrest, the employee identified the suspect as the man who robbed the store previously, Peterson said. Attempts to reach the 7-11 manager were unsuccessful. If convicted, the robbery suspects could each face a prison sentence of 10 to 25 years and a fine of up to $25,000 for each armed robbery offense. In addition, police said, a conviction for a felony committed with a handgun could add up to five years to their jail terms. Chief of Police Operations Maureen Rush said it is important that crime victims participate in the prosecution of these cases. "If our community stands strong together when someone is harmed, when someone is robbed? and cooperates with the police and the investigators, the perpetrator will hopefully not come back out on the street," Rush said. She added that so far, the victims of these crimes have been "active participants" in solving them. Rush noted that whenever a University student, employee or affiliate participates in a court case against a suspect, a University Police officer accompanies them and helps explain the court proceedings to them. Investigators said they do not think the 7-11 suspect committed any of the other armed robberies near campus because he does not fit the physical description of the perpetrators, Peterson said. Police will continue the "active investigation" using the same techniques that led to the arrest of the two armed robbery suspects, including plain clothes patrols, he added. Investigator Peg O'Malley predicted that police would find the perpetrators of the other armed robberies near campus by next Wednesday. Rush said officers will continue to patrol the area undercover, as they did before this investigation, even after they have found everyone responsible for the recent robberies. A College senior who was robbed at gunpoint early Wednesday morning said he was glad the police caught the armed robbers, but that he does not feel any safer as a result. "I don't blame the police [for the crime]," he said. "They're not going to be able to get every deviant person who comes to Penn's campus." At least 14 people associated with the University have been robbed at gunpoint near campus in the last two weeks. O'Malley attributed the high number of armed robberies to the influx of students at the beginning of the year. "All summer we've had robberies, but now we have more potential victims out there," she said. Investigators said students can increase their safety by being aware of their surroundings, walking with others, trusting their instincts and staying in well-lit areas. Police could not release the names of the arrested suspects, they said, because they have not been charged with any crimes yet. When the District Attorney charges the suspects depends on how many cases are backlogged ahead of this one, Rush said. "For all intents and purposes, it's just a matter of paperwork and the volume of other suspects in custody," she explained. "Our part is complete in that we have sent [these persons] on their journey through the system." When contacted, the District Attorney's office referred all calls to Philadelphia Police. Representatives of the Philadelphia Police press office did not return phone calls. Investigators Joe Hasara and Frank DeMeo are working with Peterson and O'Malley on the continuing investigation.