A taxi driver was slightly injured when three suspects -- believed to be juveniles -- robbed him at gunpoint Wednesday evening.
Penn Police Deputy Chief of Investigations Mike Morrin said that the crime occurred at about 9:15 p.m. at the intersection of 42nd and Market streets.
The boys approached the cab and said that they wanted to go to 17th and Washington streets in South Philadelphia.
As the driver unlocked the doors to let the boys inside, one of them pulled out a gun, pointed it at the driver and struck him on the head with it. The driver was hurt but did not require hospitalization.
The victim surrendered his wallet, containing about $50 and his identification, and the boys fled.
After the attack, the driver was able to give only general descriptions of the perpetrators to police, but said they appeared to be between 14 and 16 years old.
The Philadelphia Police Department's Southwest Detective Division is leading the investigation because the crime occurred on the edge of the Penn Police Department's investigative jurisdiction. Penn Police are, however, assisting city detectives in the search for the robbers.
In addition to Wednesday evening's robbery, Penn Police reported that a burglary took place at 4110 Baltimore Ave. in the early morning hours Tuesday.
The victim, a 23-year-old Penn student, was home at the time of the burglary but was in a different part of the house and did not see or hear anything suspicious.
Police believe that a burglar entered the home sometime between 1 and 1:30 a.m. through an unlocked door or window. There were no signs of forced entry.
The home was not ransacked. The burglar grabbed a pocketbook and backpack -- which had been sitting on a table -- and likely exited quickly.
The victim reported cash, credit cards, a cell phone and identification missing.
The crime does not seem to fit the pattern of burglaries over the summer, in which burglars targeted unoccupied residences.
