Student robbed on frat's front steps

A Penn student was robbed at gunpoint outside of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity house at about 2:45 a.m. yesterday morning, Philadelphia Police said.

The student, a College junior, was walking up the steps to the fraternity house - located near 41st and Walnut streets - and turned around when he heard someone coming up the steps behind him.

The assailant was carrying a gun and demanded money, police said.

The victim gave the assailant his wallet, which contained about $3 and credit cards, and then entered the house, which he was told to do by the assailant, police said.

The man was wearing a blue-and-black jacket, similar to that of some security guards, and had a flashing white light, police said.

The suspect is reportedly a black male in his late teens or early 20s. The victim described the assailant as between 130 to 160 pounds and six-foot tall and as neither noticeably muscular nor overweight, police said.

The victim believed that the man fled north toward Chestnut Street, police said.

Police officials said the victim attempted to identify the assailant in a photo lineup but was unsuccessful. Police have no suspects at this time.

Engineering junior Steve Jones, a DTD member who heard about the incident, said the robbery surprised him because of the generally high security on campus and in the surrounding area.

"I was surprised that it happened so close to campus," he said. "We're only a block" away.

In another incident that occurred on Saturday night at about 10:30 p.m. at the 200 block of 40th Street, a man pointed a gun at an AlliedBarton security guard when the guard approached the man - who was involved in a dispute with another male - according to Division of Public Safety officials.

The man fled south on 40th Street and west on Spruce Street after pointing the gun, DPS officials said. No description of the man is available.

It is not known if the two incidents are related.

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