Three robbed near campus last week

No one was hurt, but the incidents pushed the fall's robbery tally above 12. Three recent robberies -- including one where a student fell victim -- have brought the total number of robberies this semester on or near Penn's campus to more than 12. No one was injured during any of the recent incidents, all of which occurred since last Wednesday. The latest robbery occurred yesterday morning at the CVS convenience store at 3915 Walnut Street. Philadelphia resident Darryl James was arrested after a pursuit that took police to the subway station at 40th and Market streets. The incident began when a CVS manager stopped James from leaving the store after he allegedly tried to steal eight bottles of liquid soap. James brandished a small pocket knife at the man and fled. When police ordered him to stop, the man threatened them with a syringe-type needle. He then ran to the subway station waving the needle and went down and crossed the tracks, at which point police again confronted him and subdued him using a chemical spray. In an unrelated incident, police chased an armed man who had robbed a male student into Superblock early Friday morning, alarming students and passers-by. The incident occurred at 2:36 a.m., when a man armed with a handgun approached a male student on the 3900 block of Walnut Street and demanded his wallet. After taking the student's wallet -- which contained the student's PennCard and New Jersey driver's license, but no cash -- the suspect fled toward campus. University Police and Spectaguard officers pursued the suspect immediately after the crime occurred, Detective Commander Tom King said. At one point, at least 10 University and Philadelphia police cars swooped into Superblock and surrounded High Rise North, according to a student walking nearby who requested anonymity. Officers searched the bushes on either side of the building before moving on to examine other hiding places in the area, the student said. Shortly afterwards, an off-duty Spectaguard supervisor told walked into police headquarters and reported that he had seen a man matching the suspect's description in a phone booth at the intersection of 34th and Spruce streets. But by the time police reached the location, the suspect was gone. In the other armed robbery, a man was held up at 40th and Sansom streets Wednesday evening. A robber police said was armed with a revolver stole $60 in cash from the man at 6:40 p.m. Police did not make any arrests in the incident.