Two male students were assaulted in the middle of campus Saturday night by a large group of juveniles at approximately 11:01 p.m.
"Two male and two female Penn students were walking north" on the 3700 block of Locust Walk when they ran into around 15 juveniles in the vicinity, Vice President of Public Safety Maureen Rush said.
The group started a verbal altercation with the male students that soon turned physical. No weapons were used by anyone involved, Rush said.
Police have not yet determined the exact cause of the altercation.
While no items or cash were taken, the students sustained several cuts and abrasions. They refused medical treatment.
The University of Pennsylvania Police Department responded to a phone call that said someone was screaming in the area.
"When the call came in, our dispatchers put on [closed-circuit television] in the area," she said. "It directed police to a group of males who were turning north toward Walnut" Street.
One group of police pursued the juveniles on foot. Another went to the scene of the original incident on Locust Walk to render any assistance necessary to the victims.
Thanks to the CCTV coverage, the police were able to apprehend five of the juveniles after a short amount of time had elapsed. The victims identified them, and they were all charged with simple assault. The alleged offenders are all juveniles, so police could not release any information about them.
Rush said that there was no relation between this incident and any others.
This was the third case of assault involving a Penn student this semester. On Feb. 1, a male student was attacked by a teenager near 40th and Spruce streets at approximately 10:42 p.m. The student sustained no injuries.
On Jan. 26, two unidentified men robbed a male student on the 4200 block of Pine Street around 10:16 p.m. The males, reported to be in their early to mid-20s, struck the student twice on the head and took $30.
