What to Know
- Police are investigating several robberies near the University of Pennsylvania in which armed suspects stole iPhones from college students.
- The robberies took place in West Philadelphia between January 4 and January 13 between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. in the same area.
- During the incidents, the suspects told the victims to disable the “Find My iPhone” tracking feature, police said.
Police are investigating several robberies near the University of Pennsylvania in which armed suspects stole iPhones.
The robberies took place in West Philadelphia between January 4 and January 13. All of the incidents occurred between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. between 46th and 50th streets and between Ludlow and Walnut streets.
“I know sorority rush and stuff is going on right now so there’s definitely a lot of people out late and targets,” Elizabeth Menne, a student, told NBC10.
During each robbery, one or two suspects armed with a black handgun approached the victim and demanded both money and their iPhone. The suspects also told the victims to disable their iPhone password and the “Find My iPhone” tracking feature, police said.
“I’ve been living down here for a couple years now and it seems like every other week you’re getting an alert about a robbery or someone is on the loose and the cops are looking for somebody,” Dominick Policare, a student, said.
The suspects are described as two thin dark-skinned black males in their late teens to early 20s with short hair. They both stand between 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-11, police said. They were also both wearing dark clothing, according to investigators.
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Police continue to search for the suspects. They advise anyone who’s approached by them to comply with their demands. Experts also say you can install extra third party tracking apps to your phone.
If you have any information on the incidents or were a victim of a robbery, please call Penn Police at 215-573-3333.
CORRECTION Jan. 18, 2:11 p.m.: This story has been corrected to clarify the victims who were affected.
