The man allegedly responsible for a series of robberies at point-of-screwdriver has been charged with a total of eight counts of robbery, according to Penn Division of Public Safety officials.
Troy Brown, 34, of West Philadelphia was initially charged on Dec. 15 with five counts of robbery and five counts each of six related charges after he was identified by the victims of those robberies.
On Jan. 5, Brown was identified by the victims of three more robberies and charged with those crimes.
He has yet to be identified or charged in relation to one more incident in which he is a suspect.
A series of nine robberies at point-of-screwdriver occurred between Nov. 9 and Nov. 21. Eight of the robberies in question occurred in the University City area, while the other took place at 17th and Spring Garden streets.
Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush credited the "fine investigating techniques" of a task force comprising both Penn and Philadelphia Police for the arrest in the case.
"We had a force field put up around this issue," she said.
After the robberies stopped, police suspected that the assailant was already in custody and concentrated on the paper trail - mainly vehicle investigations and vehicle and pedestrian stops - that led them to link Brown to a car that was impounded on Jan. 25, according to Rush.
The screwdriver and another metal object that could appear to be a screwdriver were found in the impounded car, she said.
Several items that belong to a female not affiliated with the University or associated with the screwdriver robberies were also found in the vehicle, according to Rush. Brown faces charges of theft and receiving stolen property in relation to the items.
Brown had already been arrested on Nov. 29 after he allegedly rammed his car into a police vehicle when the officer tried to stop him for vehicle violations.
He is still in custody, and police officials requested a high bail in the case, Rush said.
She added that all of the cases will be tried at the same time, and she hopes that Brown will plead guilty to ease stress for the victims.
"For everyone involved, we hope there is a plea," she said.
DPS officials called Brown's apprehension a victory for both the joint task force and the community.
Rush said she was extremely happy that the collaboration between Penn and Philadelphia police allowed the arrest to occur before students left campus for winter break.
"That's the value of the relationship we've built with the Philadelphia police," she said.
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