Search Results
Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.
(12/09/91 10:00am)
University Police are increasing plainclothes patrols off campus after a weekend in which seven University students and one University employee were mugged in five separate incidents. Commissioner John Kuprevich said he has decided to deploy the University's plainclothes unit for 12-hour shifts in the areas affected by the recent wave of crimes. And University Police placed two additional officers in a new "tactical beat," scheduled from 12 p.m. to 3 a.m effective yesterday. The two officers will cover problem areas around the University, Kuprevich said, adding that the more intensive patrols will increase the department's overtime costs. Kuprevich said he feels the officers will be able to cope with the new strain placed on them by the more frequent patrols and increased shifts. Kuprevich said he was "just not sure," why so many incidents occurred over the weekend. But a bulletin released by the department cited this period of the year as a time when crime generally increases. In the first mugging, a University student was confronted by a man brandishing a gun on the 4100 block of Walnut Thursday afternoon. Police said the man forced his way into her apartment and held her hostage for approximately an hour, Lieutenant Susan Holmes said. The student reported at 4 p.m. that the man left her unharmed, taking her video-cassette recorder, a gold ring and cash, Holmes said. The man was about 25 years old, five feet, 10-inches tall, had a dark complexion and wore a beige coat, police said. In a second gunpoint robbery, two female students and one male student were robbed of their wallets and credit cards on the 3400 block of Walnut Street at 1:44 a.m. Friday, Holmes said. The male attacker was six feet, two inches tall and was last seen wearing a white nylon jacket and dark jeans. He fled north on Walnut Street in a two-door white Oldsmobile Cutlass, police said. University Police also responded to a gunpoint robbery of a University employee by two males of $47 on the eastbound side of the 36th Street SEPTA concourse at 1:34 p.m. Saturday, Holmes said. The first man was about five feet, seven inches tall and wore a yellow or orange ski jacket with a cap and carried the gun. A second man was five feet, nine inches tall, was light complected and had a mustache. In an unrelated incident, two female students were robbed at the point of a "simulated weapon" on 41st Street between Chestnut and Walnut streets at about 11:30 p.m. Thursday, police said. The attacker stole $5 from the students and fled leaving them uninjured. The man was six feet, two inches tall, weighed 190 pounds, and had a dark complexion. He was last seen wearing an earring in his left ear and a red jacket with a blue stripe. A University pre-med student was robbed at the point of a simulated weapon and was struck in the face and injured on the 4200 block of Sansom Street at 3 a.m. yesterday, police said. The student was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The attacker had short cropped hair and was last seen wearing a black leather jacket and dark pants. The attacker stole a set of keys. University Police also responded to several other incidents over the weekend, including: · A man was stopped and cited by police for carrying a B.B. pellet gun on the 4200 block of Spruce Street at 12:10 p.m. Saturday. · A house on the 4200 block of Pine was robbed at 1:49 a.m. Friday. The burglar gained access through a rear basement window. · A third-floor apartment was burglarized on the 4051 block of Spruce Street at about 4 p.m. Thursday.
(12/09/91 10:00am)
University and Philadelphia Police arrested two men they believe are responsible for last month's shooting death of a HUP employee on the 4500 block of Baltimore Street, Lieutenant Susan Holmes said last night. The two suspects were arrested as they attempted to steal a car at 2:22 a.m. Sunday on the 4100 block of Irving Street, police said. Holmes said that University Police responded to a call for back-up by Philadelphia Police and helped in apprehending the two suspects. A Philadelphia Homicide official said yesterday, however, that there was no record of the arrest on the division's blotter. Mumford was shot when two men robbed him of his car and his wallet. Mumford, unaware he had been shot, took police to his home on the 800 block of south 47th Street to get registration papers for his car. He collapsed on his porch and was rushed to the HUP emergency room. Mumford died nearly a half-hour later from a gunshot wound to the chest.
(12/04/91 10:00am)
A man attempted to rape a University employee Monday evening on the porch of her house on the 4300 block of Larchwood Street, University Police said. According to police, the woman was confronted by the attacker, who was accompanied by a second man, as she stood on her porch at about 6:25 p.m. As the second man stood, the attacker dragged the woman down the porch steps, University Police Sergeant Lawrence Salotti said. The woman then screamed and fought the man as he attempted to rape her, he added. The woman's husband, answering her screams, ran out of the house and chased the man to 43rd Street where he lost sight of the would-be rapist, police said. Larchwood Street, where the house is located, is in between Baltimore and Pine streets. The woman suffered from bruises but refused medical treatment. She was taken to Philadelphia's Sex Crimes Division, Salotti said. The woman told police the attacker was approximately six feet, three inches tall and was dark complected, weighed about 200 pounds, and was last seen wearing a burgundy windbreaker and dark pants. The second man was last seen wearing dark clothing. In a separate incident, University Police also responded to a report of a robbery on the corner of 42nd and Spruce streets at 9:48 p.m. Monday, Salotti said. A man approached two graduate students and demanded money, police said. The students handed over cash and a purse and the man fled. No further information on the assailant was available from police. In an unrelated incident, a man, claiming to carry a gun, attempted to rob a student on the 4300 block of Spruce Street at 7 p.m. Monday. The student was approached in a vestibule of a building by the man who demanded money, Salotti said. The man fled, when the student refused to hand over any money and entered the building. The man was five feet, 10 inches tall, weighted 180 pounds, appeared to be 25 to 30 years old, and was last seen wearing a dark blue windbreaker and dark pants. University Police also responded to a report of a man suffering a heart attack in the Hardees Restaurant on the corner of 39th and Walnut streets at 10 p.m. Monday, Salotti said. A security guard reported to University Police that a man was unconscious in the store. The man was in "full cardiac arrest," when police arrived, Salotti said. Police did not have any further information on the man's condition last night.
(12/03/91 10:00am)
It reads like a tally from a mobster movie -- 63 robberies, 10 aggravated assaults, an abduction and a rape. But these statistics are not from Scarface or The Godfather. Instead, they represent some of the 78 crimes against persons that have been recorded by University Police since the beginning of the semester through the middle of last month. But according to University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich, police have witnessed a decrease from last year in the number of crimes against persons on the University campus itself, although the number of campus thefts and burglaries have increased. To combat the crime, Kuprevich said last week that University Police have added six new officers over the course of the semester, issued crime alerts, and moved the plain clothes unit of the department to areas which have been most afflicted by crime. A tally of all crimes committed against persons occurring between 32nd and 43rd streets and Market and Baltimore streets reveals several trends: · Robbery comprises the majority of crimes against persons around the University area. During September, October and the first half of November, 31 of the 63 robberies were committed at gunpoint. · Students living directly west of the campus are more likely to be victimized by crime than students living north of Walnut Street or south of Spruce Street. Since the beginning of the academic year, 30 separate incidents of robbery or aggravated assault between 40th to 43rd streets and Walnut and Spruce streets have been reported to University or Philadelphia Police. · Not surprisingly, much of the robberies and assaults occur between the hours of 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. · Increases in the amount of crime seem to have occurred during the first week of the academic year, the end of September and the beginning of October, and the end of October. But, according to Kuprevich, "if you would look in the surrounding community area, we have had no major crime trends." "We have certainly seen robbery incidents," Kuprevich said "The trends, if any, have seemed to be a lot of activity in a short period of time." Kuprevich said that at times during the semester, University Police have responded to "two or three" incidents in one particular area. "We might get two or three [incidents] committed by the same person or group in one particular area," Kuprevich said, adding that the location of incidents shifts as the groups or individuals choose new ground to commit crimes. Kuprevich said that another reason why crime statistics may seem high is because "we have more people reporting [crime] to us directly." University Police Lieutenant Joseph Weaver said last week that "crimes against persons have been more prevalent west of 40th Street during this semester." One reason for the increase in reports of crimes, Weaver said, is because of an increased University Police visibility on and around campus and a significant increase in crime reporting to the University. Weaver said that University Police have increased their visibility through greater "interaction with the community." In the past, Kuprevich said, if Philadelphia Police responded to an incident in the University community, then University Police did not always write up a report for the incident. "We are getting information so that we can pass on the information [to the community]," Kuprevich said. "Our officers have been much more careful [in how they record information]." Kuprevich said that, while crime may seem to be running rampant this year, University police are "seeing more reports of crime occurring on the fringe of the community from 43rd Street out," rather than any increase in crime immediately west of the University. "There has been [a lot] of crime just west of the University," Kuprevich said. "But I can't say that it is any more than before." Kuprevich cited several new initiatives the University has taken to combat crime around the University community. "Certainly, the doubling of our police force [last spring] is something we have maintained," Kuprevich said, adding that the University has replaced several officers who left the force during the semester. Victim Support and Crime Prevention Services have also been augmented by the assignment of three police officers, Kuprevich said. He added that the additional Crime Prevention officers have helped to improve community awareness of crime, because the officers are able to distribute information about safety. And Kuprevich pointed to an cooperative initiative between University police and West Philadelphia neighbors to improve off-campus lighting. One officer, Kuprevich said, has worked with community leaders to document specific areas which most need public lighting. Kuprevich also cited the possibility of placing additional blue-light phones, which signal the location of an emergency, at off-campus locations where University Police normally patrol. The University Police have been helped by the addition of new recruits who have completed their work at the Philadelphia Police Academy and their 17-week training period, and are now patrolling the University community on their own. The addition to the Crime Alerts, bulletins issued by University Police immediately after a major incident or a crime wave, have been part of the department's effort "to educate the community," Kuprevich said. Finally, University Police have used the department's plain clothes unit, called the Crime Abatement Team, to combat crime waves in specific areas of the University community. The CAT team works "days when we have bicycle thefts and nights when we have had robberies," Kuprevich said. "We have used them as the force that moves to stop that particular trend from continuing." "We have a commitment to the University and the University community area," Kuprevich said. "We are going to maintain that commitment, and work with Philadelphia." According to Kuprevich, now is not the time to build a wall between the University and it's neighbors. "No one I've seen is playing turf wars," Kuprevich maintained "This problem did not occur overnight."
(12/03/91 10:00am)
University Police responded to three reports of robbery, a burglary, and a report of a man wielding a gun over a relatively quiet Thanksgiving Break, Lieutenant Susan Holmes said. One person reported being robbed at gunpoint on the 4000 block of Spruce Street at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Holmes said. The complainant said his attacker approached him and demanded money thinking that the complainant had just withdrawn cash at an automatic teller machine. Although the attacker never showed the gun, the complainant told police that the attacker said he had a gun. The complainant handed over money and the attacker fled. The man was described as about 30 years old and wearing a blue jacket with dark pants. In another incident, University Police received a report of an attempted robbery at the WaWa Convenience store at 3925 Walnut Street at 7:35 p.m. Wednesday, Holmes said. A man ordered the clerk to open the cash drawer and turn over the money, but the clerk was unable to open the drawer. The man fled. The 20- to 30-year-old man was five-feet, 10-inches tall and was last seen wearing a dark blue coat and black sweatpants. In a separate incident, University Police apprehended a robber near the 3600 block of Chestnut Street at 1:30 a.m. Thursday, Holmes said, following an attempted robbery of the WaWa on Chestnut Street. According to police, the man earlier Thursday evening ordered a WaWa Convenience Store manager to hand over money, saying "I have a gun." The manager pushed the panic alarm, picked up a crowbar behind the counter, and chased the man out of the store. University Police Officer William Daley observed the manager chasing the robber out of store on the 3600 block of Chestnut and apprehended the suspect, Holmes said. University Police responded to several other incidents over the break including: · A house on 4000 block of Baltimore was burglarized Tuesday afternoon. The burglar entered the house through a first floor window and stole a leather jacket and other clothes. · University Police stopped a man who witnesses said had been wielding a gun near the corner of 40th and Spruce streets at 9 p.m. Wednesday. The man was taken to Philadelphia Police's West Detective Division for carrying an air gun with a six inch barrel.
(11/27/91 10:00am)
While thousands of students eagerly trek home for some turkey and mashed potatoes, students who are staying on campus should be more safety-conscious over Thanksgiving Break, officials said this week. University Police have issued several suggestions for students who are staying in their dormitories or off-campus houses this weekend, advising students to: ·Be alert, cautious, security conscious and responsible. ·Keep windows and doors secured, and check the peephole before answering doors. ·Carry only necessary credit cards and money. ·Avoid using outdoor automatic teller machines. ·If your purse is snatched, don't resist. ·Use the "buddy system." Walk home with a friend and call up a friend to make sure he or she is safe. ·Report any suspicious activity to the University Police Department. ·Close curtains or blinds after dark. Never dress in front of a window, because your silhouette may be visisble from the street. ·If you live on campus, don't let strangers into your dormitory building. Escort Service will operate from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. tonight, Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday night, but the service will not operate on Thanksgiving. For Jewish students staying on campus, the Hillel Foundation will find an area Jewish family for the students to have dinner with Thanksgiving night. One family has already offered to take a student, a Hillel official said yesterday. But as of yesterday, no students have come to Hillel to take advantage of the service. Both the Christian Association and the Newman Center will be closed tomorrow. University students longing for a drink or just a place to hang out, will find Smokey Joe's "rocking and rolling all weekend long," including Thanksgiving Day, according to the bar's manager Pat Ryan. Some other campus bars such as Murphy's Tavern and the Palladium will both be closed on Turkey Day. Dining Services will be closed Thursday and Friday and will reopen on Monday. The 1920 Dining Commons and the Anvil Club will be the only dining halls offering dinner tonight. And for students craving turkey, Bassett's Original Turkey, along with the rest of the Food Court, will be closed tomorrow. While most businesses and groups will be closed on Thanksgiving, some will entertain students throughout the weekend, including: ·The Philadelphia Drama Guild will present Dog Lady and the Cuban Swimmer at 8 p.m on Friday and again at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday and at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. Ticket prices range from $19 and $29.50. ·Van Pelt Library will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday. Biddle Law Library will keep its doors open for the few who want to research while others are enjoying turkey and cranberry sauce. ·The University Museum will be closed tomorrow. The Museum will reopen Friday for normal hours. ·And for those students longing for a holiday movie, AMC Walnut Mall 3 Theater as well as Eric 3 on Campus theater will both be open over the weekend.
(11/25/91 10:00am)
A University student was robbed at gunpoint early Friday morning near 42nd Street as he walked up Spruce Street, police said yesterday. The student told police that a dark complected man walked up to him at around 3 a.m., told him he had a gun, and demanded money and his watch. The attacker was approximately 30 years old, around five-feet, five-inches tall, and was last seen wearing a red sweatshirt and dark pants, police said. The man fled west on Spruce towards 43rd Street, according to University Police Sergeant Lawrence Salotti. Three other people were victims of strongarm robberies over the weekend, and a city man was robbed of his car at gunpoint near campus, police said. In two related incidents, a University student and a Temple University student were assaulted on the 3900 block of Chestnut Street late Friday night, Salotti said. The male University student reported being assaulted and injured in the eye by one of three males around 10:48 p.m.. Minutes later, the student's female friend reported being indecently assaulted by one of three juveniles, Salotti said. A 14-year-old suspect was apprehended by University Police in connection with the incident, Salotti said. University Police responded to several other incidents over the weekends: · A graduate student was assaulted by four or five male attackers on the 3200 block of Spruce Street at about 12:40 a.m. yesterday, police said. The male student sustained injuries to his knees but refused medical treatment. He told police that the four or five well-dressed attackers fled west on Spruce Street towards 33rd Street. · A burglar stole a stereo from a student's off-campus house after getting in through an unlocked second floor window Friday. The house, which is on 42nd Street between Walnut and Spruce streets, was apparently broken into around 11 p.m., Salotti said. · A man who is not affiliated with the University reported that two males stole his car at gunpoint on the 3800 block of Chestnut Street at 2:33 a.m., Saturday. The man also said that his friend was still in the rear seat of the car when the robbers stole it. Police had no further information on the incident. · A man was spotted going from room to room with a bag and taking things at the Clinical Research Building in the Medical Center complex Saturday. Building security officers saw the man on the fourth floor of the building and stopped him, but he fled. University Police stopped and arrested him around 11:15 p.m.. · Dental School security officers reported that two walkie-talkies were taken from a locked cabinet sometime Saturday night. · A male driver intentionally rammed into a female driver's car on the 3900 block of Walnut Street early yesterday morning, Salotti said. The man then exited his car, and stabbed the female driver in the hand and then fled in his vehicle with another man at around 1 a.m.
(11/22/91 10:00am)
The man police said is responsible for two attempted rapes, one rape and an indecent assault in the immediate campus area was again found innocent of a sexually related crime yesterday in a Philadelphia Municipal Courtroom. But 36-year-old Raydell Luke was found guilty of robbery, simple assault and related charges yesterday and could face up to 20 years in jail for the robbery conviction alone. Luke was also found innocent of a rape charge and two attempted rape charges in three separate trials over the last three months. All of the incidents, including the one heard in yesterday's trial, occurred within blocks of campus. Before yesterday's ruling by Municipal Court Judge Anthony De Fino, the only major charge Luke was found guilty of was indecent assault of a woman visiting the University in May 1990. The victim at yesterday's hearing was a University employee who recognized Luke outside an Acme Supermarket store a month after her attack and was responsible for helping police locate and arrest him. During her testimony, the victim told a nearly empty courtroom that Luke followed her into her apartment on the 4300 block of Spruce Street, put a knife to her throat, and put his hand in her underwear and inside her brassiere. She testified that she had been dropped off by a friend near the corner of 44th and Spruce streets on the night of December 30 last year, and had rushed through the rain eastward to her apartment. When she got there, she said Luke was waiting outside the building. When she opened the outer door to the building, Luke followed her inside. As she was about to open a second inner door, he pushed her to the side of the foyer and demanded money, she testified. The victim said that Luke turned her around to face him and it was then that he put the knife against her throat. The victim, who identified Luke as her attacker, said after sexually assaulting her, he took her money and fled, leaving her in the foyer. After more than two hours of testimony, De Fino ruled that Luke was guilty of robbery and the related charges but not sexual assault. De Fino agreed with Luke's lawyer that prosecutors did not prove Luke was actually attempting to sexually assault her when he put his hand inside her clothes. Defense lawyers had argued that Luke was just looking for money. The victim, who suffers from cerebral palsy, was at times difficult to understand while on the stand. During one exchange, both the court reporter and the attorneys argued about whether she had said Luke looked like he was "harmless" or "homeless." Assistant District Attorney Jeanette Synnestvedt also called Philadelphia Police Sex Crimes Officer Dominic Guillespie to the stand to testify that the victim had identified Luke in a photograph. Defense Attorney Thomas Innes, who replaced Stephen Gross as Luke's lawyer, questioned the victim about inconsistencies in her story. Innes, attempting to discredit her testimony, told the court that she had told police that Luke's knife was a little larger than a penknife, but later said that the knife was a kitchen knife. Innes, who asked leading questions to which the witness answered "yes" or "no," interrupted her testimony at one point to contend that the victim had changed her testimony. Innes said the witness first claimed that Luke held her from behind, then changed her testimony to say that Luke faced her during the incident. Judge De Fino disagreed, saying that he had the impression that Luke faced her the entire time, and Synnestvedt strongly objected to Innes' claim. After the court reporter read nearly 10 minutes of testimony, De Fino maintained his assumption that Luke had faced his victim the entire time. The victim delivered over two hours of testimony and was recalled later in the afternoon by Synnestvedt. Synnestvedt said after the conclusion of the trial that she was pleased with the testimony of the victim. "The witness did a good job," Synnestvedt said. "She suffers from cerebral palsy and it was very nerve racking for her to come to court." "It was hard on her both physically and emotionally," Synnestvedt said. "She was up there nearly two and a half hours." Luke is scheduled to be sentenced on yesterday's convictions in January. He will also be sentenced next week for the May 1990 indecent assault of a woman who was visiting the University. Although Luke was charged with attempted rape in that incident, Judge Gene Cohen last month found him guilty of the lesser charge of indecent assault, stating that the prosecutor did not prove Raydell had the intent to rape her. Luke was acquitted in September of charges that he tried to rape a Children's Hospital of Philadelphia doctor in 1988 in her off-campus apartment. A Municipal Court judge also found Luke innocent of a December 30 rape of a University employee just two hours before the victim in yesterday's case was attacked. Innes, Luke's defense attorney, could not be reached for comment after the trial.
(11/21/91 10:00am)
Police responded to several calls of disorderly conduct yesterday when a number of arguments erupted between groups of high school juniors attending the 1991 College Fair at the Civic Center. Although "numerous" fights broke out among the large crowd of high schoolers between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., no one was arrested in the incidents and no one was seriously injured, University Police Lieutenant Susan Holmes said. The College Fair is an annual program held at the Civic Center for Delaware Valley high schoolers where colleges and the government set up booths offering information about admissions and financial aid. In an unrelated incident, a University student was assaulted by a group of about 30 juveniles Tuesday afternoon near the corner of 34th and Sansom streets, Holmes said. The male student told police that the juveniles approached him and struck him with their elbows at 2:52 p.m. The student was uninjured and refused medical treatment, Holmes said. In a separate incident, a car caught fire on the 3100 block of Walnut street yesterday. The Philadelphia Fire Department extinguished the fire in the engine section of the car, Holmes said. Damage was confined to the car and no one was injured. In another incident, a man was cited for disorderly conduct after harassing students at the 38th Street footbridge Tuesday at 6:20 p.m, Holmes said. The man was released after being cited.
(11/20/91 10:00am)
An autopsy performed on the employee later Monday revealed that he died of a gunshot wound to the chest despite efforts by HUP doctors to revive him for nearly 30 minutes, officials said. And a spokesperson for the Medical Examiner's office said yesterday that 33-year old Greg Mumford was still alive when he was wheeled into HUP's emergency room at 3:37 a.m. Monday. Mumford, a HUP employee of 15 years, was shot by one of three male attackers who were robbing his car and wallet early Monday morning near the corner of 45th and Baltimore streets. Police responded to a report of a man screaming in Clark Park on 43rd and Baltimore streets and found Mumford standing in the middle of Baltimore Street. Police took Mumford to his house on the 800 block of S. 49th Street to get registration papers for his car when he collapsed on his porch. The spokesperson for the Medical Examiner's office would not speculate if Mumford's life could have been saved if he had been taken directly to the hospital. "I can't do that," the spokesperson said. "I can't sit here and play God." A Philadelphia Police spokesperson also said yesterday that a preliminary investigation of the incident by the department has revealed that Mumford never told police officers that he had been injured. "The officers were not informed [that Mumford had been shot]," the spokesperson said. Police said if Mumford was shot with a small caliber pistol, he might not have realized he was injured. Police also said that while such incidents are not common, victims occasionally do not realize they have been shot even minutes after the incident. "I've seen cases as a policeman where [victims don't realize they have been shot]," the police spokesman said, adding that the victim might have been so excited by the incident, that he never felt the pain. "With a small caliber gun, a man can be shot an easily not know it," he added. The medical examiner's spokesman agreed, stating that "it's not outside the realm of possibilities" for Mumford to unknowingly have been shot. Mumford was taken to the emergency room, but was pronounced dead in the operating room at 4:06 a.m. Monday, the spokesperson said.
(11/20/91 10:00am)
Three men, at least one of which was armed with a gun, were involved in a fight early yesterday morning outside the Backstreet Cafe on the 3900 block of Sansom Street, police said. According to Lieutenant Susan Holmes, University Police responded to a report of a fight on Philadelphia Police radio at the 3921 Sansom Street cafe. Witnesses told police that one man carrying a pistol and two other men were involved in the fight, Holmes said. Philadelphia Police stopped three males in a car fitting the description, but witnesses said that those men were not involved, Holmes said. The three men were released. A man handed over a demand note stating, "I have a gun," and then stole an unspecified amount of goods or money, Holmes said. The man was about five-feet, seven-inches tall, about 30 years old, dark complected, and was last seen wearing a white scarf and tweed coat, Holmes said. University Police also responded to a report of a woman being followed by a suspicious-looking man on the 4000 block of Walnut Street, Holmes said. Although the complainant was not at the scene when police arrived, the officers stopped the man who was carrying a knife, Holmes said. The man was brought to University Police headquarters where police checked to see if he had any outstanding warrants. The man was released, Holmes said. In a separate incident, a University trash truck was involved in a minor accident at 9 a.m. yesterday on 40th Street between Spruce and Pine streets, police said. No one was injured and damage to the vehicles was minor, Holmes said.
(11/19/91 10:00am)
Jae Kim has an idea -- with a $100,000 hitch. The Wharton senior's idea would improve police response time, lessen crime, and improve campus safety. But Kim, a University Scholar, can't get the $100,000 he needs to turn his idea into reality. For several months, Kim has been working on a security device which, when pressed, would send a signal to a computer system in a police department's headquarters, alerting police of an emergency. The device, which would be no larger than the size of a walkman, could be carried by students around campus. Kim -- who has more than 30 inventions to his credit, including a patent for a cost efficient, capless pen -- said last week that, though University administrators say they are excited about his idea, they just don't have the cash he needs. But one University administrator said yesterday the Faculty Senate could approve the funds for such an endeavor. Jeffery Solash, assistant director for corporate development, said yesterday that while Kim's "idea holds some potential and I'm looking forward to see the idea flushed out . . . it would take an act of the Faculty Senate to allow the University to invest in its own technology, as I understand the situation." "There certainly is a need for systems like this," Solash said. "The proof will be in how Jae flushes it out." But the undaunted entrepreneur said he feels he just hasn't met the "right person . . . yet." Kim, who has been inventing everything from toys to high-tech projects since high school, insists that the University has the money he needs, but that he just hasn't met that one person who can pull the right strings for him. University Scholars Coordinator Susan Duggan said that the idea "sounded great," but that she "did not go into depth about it because it seemed too complicated." Duggan said when Kim came to her in October, she suggested he talk with an electrical engineering professor. "I haven't heard what came of it," she said. Kim said his idea would reduce pressure on police by making it easy to respond to incidents. "When [students] encounter any problem they would press the button," Kim added, claiming that the security system would reduce the number of police the University would have to hire. Kim said false alarms and practical jokes could be avoided by fining those who misuse the device. Kim said the technology for his security system is available, and it would take just a year for him and a group of students to create a prototype. Kim, an entrepreneurial management major, said that patents on his idea alone could cost him $20,000 apiece and that he would need "several" patents. The U.S. Patent Office charges $10,000 for the creation of a patent, and an additional $800-per-year over the next 14 years to protect the idea. Although his concept is not yet protected by a patent, Kim said he keeps a diary to record every new concept that he is thinking of developing. And Kim said he wrote a letter to the Patent Office detailing the idea, which he said is kept in a safe there. "It doesn't give you much protection," Kim said. But if he has to go to court to defend the idea, the Patent Office has an official record of when he conceived of the idea. Kim's ideas aren't just pies-in-the-sky. The inventor created a cordless-like phone system last year, only to have a "copy-cat" take the idea right out from under his nose because Kim couldn't afford a patent. "Someone else did it," Kim said. "And it's selling really well. I even bought one."
(11/19/91 10:00am)
A HUP employee died yesterday from a gunshot wound to the chest after a man stole his car and wallet at 45th and Baltimore streets. And Philadelphia Police found a man dead from a gunshot wound to the head in his car Friday night on 39th Street between Chestnut and Market streets, police said. Philadelphia Police found the victim on Baltimore after responding to a report of a man screaming in Clark Park, the park on the 4300 block of Baltimore. The police, unaware of the employee's wounds, took him to his home on the 800 block of south 49th Street where he collapsed on his porch. A police spokesperson said that the victim, 33-year-old Greg Mumford, did not tell police he had been hurt and it was only when he collapsed that they saw his gunshot wound. Police rushed the unconscious Mumford to HUP, where Mumford had worked for more than 15 years. He was pronounced dead at 4:04 a.m., police said. Police said they are looking for three black male suspects in connection with the incident, which occurred at about 2:40 a.m. yesterday. According to a HUP spokesperson, Mumford was in the transportation department and was responsible for moving patients from one area of the hospital to another. "Greg made his mark as a dedicated, respected employee and as a wonderful friend," HUP officials said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this very sad time." Police said yesterday they are also looking for Mumford's stolen 1985 maroon Chevrolet Caprice with Pennsylvania license plate number UTL-671. HUP spokesperson Rene Scotko said yesterday that, while Mumford had a family, she was not sure if he had a wife or children. A University student who lives about a block from yesterday's shooting said that he had not heard about the incident and that the shooting will not make him more fearful of living in the area. College senior Jonathon Blum, who lives on the 4200 block of Osage, said yesterday that, while it's "terrible that someone gets shot," University Police have improved security in the area. "There are various gun shots from time to time," Blum said, but added that he feels the incidents are "nothing serious." In the second incident, Philadelphia Police found a man shot to death in a car near the corner of 39th Street between Market and Chestnut streets Friday. The man, 31-year-old Omar Ancrum, was found dead in a 1990 Honda car on the corner of 39th and Ludlow streets at 11:24 p.m. Friday by Philadelphia Police. Ancrum, who lives on the 5100 block of north 57th street, was apparently killed by a gunshot wound to the head, a police spokesman said. After an investigation, police issued a warrant Saturday for the arrest of Milton Raphael Hall, of Fern Street, Darby, Pennsylvania. Hall was arrested later on Saturday and was charged with murder and related charges, according to police. He will be arraigned tomorrow in a City Hall courtroom.
(11/19/91 10:00am)
Two University students were mugged on campus in two separate incidents within five minutes of each other Sunday night, University Police said yesterday. In the first incident, a male student was robbed outside the Wawa convenience store on the corner of 38th and Spruce streets by a man carrying a walking cane at 11:16 p.m., Sergeant Lawrence Salotti said yesterday. The man stole $5 dollars from the student and then fled. The man was later stopped by University Police and identified by the student as his attacker, Salotti said. The man, whose name was not released, was arrested for robbery and was taken to Philadelphia Police's West Detective Division. The second robbery occurred in a University parking lot on the 3600 block of Walnut Street at 11:21 p.m. Sunday. An unarmed man grabbed a female student's knapsack from behind and then told her to give him her money, Salotti said. The man stole $15 and fled on foot. The man was about six feet tall, 130 pounds, had a beard and was last seen wearing a red and white hat. University Police also responded to several other incidents in the last two days, including: · A resident of a house on the 3600 block of Locust Walk reported seeing a man attempting to enter his house early yesterday morning. The man fled when he was spotted. The man was described as having a tall, thin build and was last seen wearing a puffy blue jacket.
(11/18/91 10:00am)
A man forced his way into a female University student's 41st Street apartment, robbed her at gunpoint, and then attempted to sexually assault her in the middle of the day Friday, University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich said. The student was grabbed by the man at about 1:15 p.m. as she approached her apartment, which is on 41st between Spruce and Pine streets. Once inside her apartment, the attacker pointed a handgun at her and demanded money, Kuprevich said. The student, who had no cash, turned over approximately $1500 worth of jewelry. The man then threatened to assault her, but did not, Kuprevich said. Kuprevich declined to say why the attacker stopped the assault. The man fled the apartment with the jewelry and then robbed two more University students at gunpoint of stereo equipment in separate apartments of the same building, police said. Police broadcast a description of the man over their radio, and he was spotted minutes later at 39th and Chestnut streets by Philadelphia Police. The woman and the two other students identified him as their attacker. The man, Glolahan Olabede, was arrested by Philadelphia Police on charges of armed robbery and related charges. He is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday. University Police responded to the incident after Philadelphia Police issued a report of a robbery on their police scanner in the area of the 300 block of south 41st Street, Kuprevich said. A Crime Alert released by University Police Friday states that none of the victims were hurt in the incident. The University Police Department and the Philadelphia Police's West Detective division are conducting a joint investigation of the incident.
(11/18/91 10:00am)
A student was found semi-conscious on Locust Walk early Saturday morning by University Police but is now listed in fair condition and conscious at HUP, officials said this weekend. University Police Lieutenant Susan Holmes did not know why the student was semi-conscious, but said that a Philadelphia rescue squad responded to the incident and attempts at the time to help the student regain consciousness failed. As of late Saturday, the student was listed in fair condition and was conscious, according to Holmes. In a separate incident, a suspect being chased by Philadelphia Police rammed an unmarked University Police car on the 4100 block of Locust Street at 10:35 p.m. Friday. The unmarked University Police car, part of the police department's plain-clothes team, was monitoring the chase when the car suddenly turned onto Locust Street from 41st Street and hit both the unmarked police car and two other unoccupied parked cars. The man, who was arrested for stealing the Mercedes-Benz he fled in, was unharmed, but the three University officers assigned to the unmarked car were taken to the HUP, Holmes said. All three were treated for minor injuries and released. All the vehicles suffered cosmetic damage, except for the stolen Mercedes, which was severely damaged. University Police also responded to a report on Philadelphia Police radio that a female area resident had attempted to commit suicide and was suffering from lacerations inflicted with a razor at 11:35 p.m. Friday, Holmes said. The woman was taken to HUP and her condition was unknown last night. In a separate incident, a man reported to police that he had entered a vehicle parked in the 3400 block of Chestnut Street at about 11:50 p.m. Friday to wait for his girlfriend. The car, however, was not his and when the owner of the car returned, he pulled the complainant from the car, Holmes said. The complainant was struck by the owner of the car, who fled in the car. University Police also responded to several other incidents over the weekend, including: · A female area resident reported being grabbed on the buttocks by an unknown male at 9:19 a.m. yesterday on the 3600 block of Spruce Street. The woman refused to file a police report. · The Phi Gamma Delta house at 3619 Locust Walk was robbed of 11 cases of Schlitz beer at 6:23 p.m. Friday. University Police apprehended a suspect and impounded the alcohol. · A man was caught breaking into an car parked on the 3800 block of Walnut Street by University Police officers. The man was arrested in the process of removing the stereo system at 8:48 p.m. Friday. · A bag of ice thrown out of a High Rise North window struck a car, breaking its front windshield, but causing no injuries at 11:41 p.m. Friday. · A 1985 grey Cadillac Sedan Seville was stolen out of the University parking lot on the north side of the 3600 block of Walnut Street at about 3 a.m. Saturday. · The Philadelphia Fire Department responded to a report of a fire on the 8th floor of High Rise North at 4:39 a.m. Saturday. Posters were set on fire, but were quickly extinguished with minimal damage to the floor. · A $700 Nikon camera was stolen from Meyerson Hall at about 12 p.m. yesterday.
(11/11/91 10:00am)
Two University students were robbed at gunpoint just west of campus on Thursday, police said yesterday. In the first incident, a female student was mugged by two young males, both of whom were about 13 years old, at 8:15 p.m. on the 400 block of South 43rd Street. The two attackers, who stole only cash, fled without harming the student, University Police Sergeant Lawrence Salotti said. The boy with the gun was about five-feet, six-inches tall, had short hair and was wearing a t-shirt. The other boy was between 140 to 150 pounds, about five-feet, four-inches tall, and was wearing a t-shirt and black pants. Just over two-and-a-half hours later, a male student was robbed by a single attacker with an automatic pistol on the corner of 44th and Locust streets. The student was robbed of his wallet, which had credit cards and some cash. The mugger -- who was about six feet tall, 150 pounds, and in his early 30s -- left the student unharmed and fled in a beige Chevy Chevette. University Police reported several other incidents that occurred over the weekend, including: · Officers arrested three juveniles leaving Bennett Hall with a camera and a video cassette recorder Friday night. · A man was making "obscene gestures" on the 39th Street Walk between Walnut and Spruce streets Saturday night. He was cited by University Police for disorderly conduct. · Two fraternity brothers were accused of assaulting a party-goer in the Superblock early Sunday morning. Police did not know which fraternity the brothers were from and referred the case to the Judicial Inquiry Office.
(11/06/91 10:00am)
For a proud moment last night, Lucien Blackwell was king of the "common people." Standing ten feet above the heads of a packed crowd of hot, sweaty supporters -- "this is one of the smallest campaign headquarters I've ever seen," one supporter remarked -- the newly elected U.S. Congressman was literally and figuratively on top of his world. Blackwell soundly defeated three opponents in last night's election to replace former Rep. William Gray as the representative of the congressional district that surrounds the University but does not include campus. A self-styled populist, Blackwell claimed in his victory speech at his headquarters on the 3900 block of Walnut Street that he had defied the pundits who said that his "down-to-earth" style would never win. With emotional words and sweeping hand gestures, Blackwell took center stage to declare his victory while thumbing his nose at those who "told me I had to have a national figure to run my campaign." "They told me I'd have to pay $150,000 to someone to do it so I could win," Blackwell said. "I have not paid anyone one cent." As of 1 a.m., with 97 percent of the divisions counted, Blackwell had garnered 39 percent of the vote -- 11 percent more than his closest rival, Consumer Party candidate and University alumnus Chaka Fattah. Blackwell celebrated his victory with his wife, Jannie -- who succeeded her husband on the City Council -- as they acknowledged their supporters and campaign workers who had battled during the four-week campaign. Addressing the motley crowd of slick television reporters, suit-clad campaign workers and street-clothed supporters, Blackwell used his ten-minute victory speech to thank everyone from the voters to God. With supporters consistently voicing their support, the 60-year-old Blackwell called for a "time of healing in this city" and reconciliation, saying that he would "forgive his enemies." Blackwell shook his fist as he savored a victory which vindicated his loss this spring in the Democratic primary mayoral race. Surrounded by his grandchildren and his closest advisors, the former Councilman commended his closest competitors, Fattah and Independent Candidate John White, for a race free of mudslinging. During the early hours of the long election night, Blackwell's anxious supporters watched the "Wheel of Fortune," as television crews tested equipment and campaign workers discussed their final strategy. But above, in the offices of the Blackwell campaign headquarters, the scene was much more subdued. Blackwell family members, friends and a small group of advisors talked softly as the television played in the background. The Blackwell campaign financial director, Howard Wiener, was pensive, saying that "until you find out [for sure], you're nervous." Blackwell, who was favored largely because he received the Democratic Pary's endorsement, was confident of victory earlier in the evening as he spoke of his appeal to the people, and his ties with the average West Philadelphian. Blackwell came down from his inner sanctum to acknowledge the crowd just as the polls closed at 8 p.m., predicting victory because of his 20-year "record" of "long service and service to people." Sounding extremely confident, he promised to buy everyone an ice-cream cone after it was all over and hurriedly returned to his office upstairs to await the tally from around West and North Philadelphia. The hordes of supporters cheered as televisions blared the latest returns during the two hours between the close of the polls and his victory speech. Later in an interview, Blackwell said he was not worried about following in the shadow of the powerful Gray, who was the House Majority Whip. "He took his shadow with him," Blackwell said. The campaign workers and supporters, some of whom have been with Blackwell since his early days as City Councilman, cited his "down to earth" style as the single most important factor during his political career. One campaign worker, who had come to the headquarters to drop off election results, became angry when several other workers refused to let him see Blackwell. The frustrated worker stormed out, saying, "I didn't work out there all day to wait here all night." Staff writer Scott Calvert contributed to this story.
(11/05/91 10:00am)
Philadelphia Sex Crimes Division, the University Police department, and Bryn Mawr Public Safety department officials are continuing their investigation into Friday morning's abduction and rape of a Bryn Mawr student at the corner of 39th and Walnut streets. Philadelphia Sex Crimes Lieutenant William Broadbent said yesterday that his division is "actively investigating" the incident, which began on the edge of campus as the Bryn Mawr student waited in her car, and ended two hours later in New Jersey. Broadbent said he would not comment on the specifics of the case. Bryn Mawr Public Safety Director Stephen Heath, a former sergeant with University Police, said yesterday that he is hoping the three departments' separate investigations can quickly solve the case. Heath commended the woman for keeping a "clear head" throughout the ordeal. He added he believes that she is the one who suggested that they drive to Bryn Mawr College, probably hoping that a public safety worker at Bryn Mawr would see her, or that by being at Bryn Mawr, she would have more control over the situation. "She was using her head to try to move him away from harming her physically," Heath said. "That's one of the reasons that they wound up around here." "[Driving to Bryn Mawr] was a move on her part to get him to go to territory that she knew," Heath added "I don't believe it was his thought initially to come back to Bryn Mawr." During the drive from Bryn Mawr to New Jersey, the woman withdrew approximately $60 from an automatic teller machine near the suburban college's campus, Heath said. Heath, who left the University in 1989 to take the position, said that Philadelphia Police have released a composite drawing of the suspect and that Bryn Mawr Public Safety officials have distributed the drawing around the Mainline campus. "We don't have a prime suspect," Heath said. "The investigation is in the incipient stages."
(11/04/91 10:00am)
A female Bryn Mawr student was abducted by a man while waiting in her car on the corner of 39th and Walnut streets early Friday morning and was later raped and robbed, University Police said. Police said the woman had been visiting the University and was waiting for a friend when the assailant, claiming to have a gun, forced his way into the car and made her drive to Bryn Mawr College and finally to New Jersey, where the man released her and fled. The student had parked her two-door, green Nissan Pulsar on Walnut between 38th and 39th streets around 2 a.m. when the incident occurred, University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich said yesterday. When the student and the assailant arrived at Bryn Mawr's campus, the man followed the woman to her dormitory room, where he forced her to get her automatic teller card and her credit cards, Kuprevich said. The woman told police the man then made her withdraw an undisclosed amount of money from an ATM machine near the suburban school, Kuprevich said. The woman told police that she was then told by the man, who still threatened to have a gun, to drive to New Jersey. The assailant did not show the gun to the woman. Once in New Jersey, the man fled the scene and left the woman behind, Kuprevich said. Kuprevich said the woman was raped but declined to say where the rape occurred. After the assailant released her, the woman apparently drove back to the University where she flagged down a University Police officer and reported the incident at 5:37 a.m., nearly three and a half hours after the beginning of the ordeal, Kuprevich said. The woman described the attacker as a black man in his late twenties, light skinned, with a mustache, short hair and a medium build. "Philadelphia Police Sex Crimes is the primary investigative unit on the case," Kuprevich said. "Our department and Bryn Mawr are cooperating in fullest." A Philadelphia Sex Crimes spokesman said yesterday that the unit is investigating the incident, but refused to comment on the specifics of the case. Bryn Mawr College Public Safety officials confirmed that a Bryn Mawr student was attacked, but also refused to comment on the case. But a Bryn Mawr College Public Safety officer said last night that there are locked doors to Bryn Mawr College dormitories and that there are no security officers at the entrances to on-campus residences. After the incident, Kuprevich said that University Police officers were told to pay special attention to the 3800 and 3900 blocks of Walnut Street during late night and early morning hours. Kuprevich said that police officers would concentrate efforts in the area last night also. University Police also issued a Crime Alert bulletin to dormitories in the area of 39th and Walnut, Kuprevich said. The bulletin states that the woman was accosted "at the point of instrument," and asks anyone with information about the incident to call University Police. The bulletin also asks students and staff travelling by car to "drive with doors locked and windows rolled up," and also tells victims not to "resist" or "panic." "Those were the steps that were appropriate for us to take; to notify the community, and beef up officers in the area," Kuprevich said. Kuprevich said that the woman has been offered the services of the University's Victim Support Services and that the woman is also being helped by Bryn Mawr College's rape counseling services.
