Robbery part of 'mini-spree'

Two University graduate students were allegedly robbed at gunpoint early yesterday morning on the 4200 block of Locust Street. According to police, the two students -- one male and one female -- were walking on Locust at about 12:30 a.m., when two men exited a nearby parked car. One of the men was allegedly carrying a single-barrel shotgun. He reportedly told the two students to get on the ground and give him their money. The female student gave the men the $10 she had, but the male student told the alleged assailants that he had no cash on him. The men then went back to the car, which was driven by a third person, and drove south on 42nd Street. The two students sustained no injuries. The car was described as an older four-door vehicle, perhaps made by Dodge. The man who carried the shotgun was described as an African American, between 17 and 22 years of age, 5'8" tall with a medium build. His companion was also described as an African-American male between 17 and 22 years old, but slightly taller. Both men allegedly wore dark, hooded sweatshirts with the hoods pulled around their faces. Police officials said that the same men were probably responsible for two other incidents that night -- one occurring before the incident at Penn, and one after. The first incident occured on 49th Street, and was extremely similar to the one that took place on 42nd Street. After the incident at Penn, the car was allegedly seen crossing the South Street Bridge, and another robbery took place shortly thereafter at 19th and Catherine streets. University Police Detective Supervisor Frank DeMeo said the department has "reason to believe this was a sort of mini-spree." The Penn Police are working with the Philadelphia Police Department's Southwest Detectives Unit on this investigation.

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