Philadelphia Police and Penn Police combined forces to nab four suspects in the aftermath of a robbery that occurred early yesterday morning on Walnut Street near the intersection with 40th Street.
Penn Police deputy chief of investigations Mike Marin said that uniformed officers on routine patrol at about 2 a.m. saw five or six men who appeared to be threatening two other men.
As officers approached, the suspicious individuals fled north on 40th Street.
The two men who remained at the scene reported to the officers that they had been robbed of a cell phone.
Penn Police put out a report with descriptions of the suspects. Penn officers apprehended three suspects, and Philadelphia Police took a fourth into custody.
Arrested were Mark Bowie, 21, and Brian Jenkins, 20 -- both of the 4000 block of Ogden Street -- along with Ronald Haynes, 24, of 800 N. Holly St. and Stephen Wilkins, 22, of the 5800 block of Walnut Street.
None of the suspects is affiliated with the University.
Both of the men who were robbed are students at the Restaurant School, located at 4207 Walnut St.
A separate robbery occurred Monday night at about 8 p.m. at the exact same location.
The victim, a College sophomore who requested to remain unnamed, said that she was walking alone westbound on the north side of Walnut Street when two men exited a dark-colored parked vehicle and began to approach her from the front at a 45-degree angle.
The victim could give only a limited physical description of the men.
As they approached, coming within about 10 feet of the victim, one of the suspects reportedly lifted up a hooded sweatshirt, revealing what she believed to be part of a weapon -- perhaps the muzzle of a handgun.
She said she could not see other people in the area, which was obscured from lighting by two large trees that hang over the sidewalk.
She immediately dropped her wallet -- which contained an ATM card and a small amount of cash -- on the ground and ran in the opposite direction, eastbound on Walnut Street. She soon encountered friends who walked her home.
Shortly after the incident, the victim mentioned what had happened to a Philadelphia Police officer, who she said discouraged her from filing a police report and said that little could be done.
The victim plans to report the crime to the Penn Police, however, especially after hearing of last night's robbery.
"It's the first time I've been scared since I came to West Philadelphia," she said, adding that more of a police presence is needed west of 40th Street.
Since arriving on campus for the semester, she had noticed men loitering in the area where she was robbed.
"I guess it's an opportune time to strike," given the influx of people to campus, she said.
Her experience has left her apprehensive about walking in the area but otherwise unharmed.
"It could have been a lot worse," she said.
