Crime over break remains steady

A study escaped an attempted robbery near 40th and Spruce streets. The number of robberies and burglaries reported to University Police over spring break declined slightly from from last year's break, although thefts rose 20 percent, police said. The 25 thefts, auto thefts, robberies and burglaries that were reported during this year's spring break -- from March 6 to March 16 -- held steady from the 26 reported last year. No homicides, rapes or aggravated assaults were reported. University Police figures showed there were 18 actual or attempted thefts this year, up slightly from the 15 reported during the comparable period a year earlier. Eighteen incidents were reported during the break two years ago. The number of actual or attempted burglaries fell from five reported incidents in 1997 to three this year. Two burglaries were reported during spring break in 1996. The one attempted robbery reported to police this year is a decrease from the three reported last year, but equal to 1996's total. In the robbery attempt, which occurred at about 6:40 p.m. on March 6, two men got out of a car on the 4000 block of Spruce Street and tried to rob a student using a simulated weapon. The student ran away before he was robbed and did not see which direction the suspects fled, University Police Det. Gary Heller said. In one of the thefts, a $2,500 laptop computer was stolen from a fourth-floor room of the office building at 3440 Market Street between noon on March 10 and 9 a.m. on March 16, Heller said. There were no signs of forced entry. One of the burglary victims was a newsstand on the southeast corner of 36th and Walnut streets. Between 6 p.m. on March 13 and 7:20 a.m. on March 16, the newsstand was broken into and $2,000 in cash and merchandise were stolen, police said. University Police are investigating the incident. Actual or attempted auto thefts remained the same as last year's three reported incidents, which is two more than the amount of thefts reported in 1996. Also, four wallets and two bicycles were reported stolen during spring break. The number of simple assaults -- which are not considered major crimes -- also rose to three incidents this year from two in 1997. On March 6, a student in High Rise East struck his roommate four times in the face at about 3 p.m. The victim refused medical treatment and the matter was referred to the Office of Student Conduct, according to Heller. At about 2:15 p.m. on March 10, a student struck a professor in a room in the Clinical Research Building at 415 Curie Boulevard. Police did not arrest the student, and the matter was referred to the Office of Student Conduct as well, Heller said. Another incident of simple assault occurred on Saturday at the Gap store at 3423 Walnut Street. A woman threatened the store manager by throwing clothes and a pen, which hit her in the face, Heller said. The suspect, described as a 5'5'' black woman wearing a red jacket, red scarf, dark pants and DKNY shoes, fled from the scene after the incident. The store manager refused medical treatment. Police also arrested a 24-year-old man for allegedly assaulting the mother of his child at approximately 5:45 a.m. on March 7 in the emergency room of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. In addition, police arrested Austin Welcome, 55, for obstructing the highway after he was found lying in front of CHOP at 34th Street and Convention Avenue on March 10 at about 5:40 a.m. Daily Pennsylvanian staff writer Maureen Tkacik contributed to this article.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.