Robbers pose as cabbies, prey on students
Noah Cohen
Issue date: 10/5/07 Section: News
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Drexel University's Department of Public Safety issued a campus wide alert Oct. 4 after a pattern of robberies and abductions emerged across Philadelphia.
The victim hails a taxi with two males in the front, and after the victim enters the cab, the front seat passenger displays a handgun and demands cash, cell phones and forces the victim to withdraw money from an ATM.
None of the victims have been Drexel students but interim Senior Associate Vice President of Public Safety Frederick Carbonara said he felt it was important to inform the Drexel community.
Drexel officials said two University of Pennsylvania students were victimized, however other officials have said only one student was victimized and a specific number was unable to be confirmed at the time of publishing.
"We are not aware of any of our students being victimized by this criminal behavior. However, we support notification to our campus community so they can be alert to this problem," Cabronara said in an e-mail.
Carbonara described the suspects as "black males, between 20 and 30 years old, 5'10" to 6', between 160-170 pounds. One male had a goatee and the other male was clean shaven."
He urged students to consider safety a "shared responsibility" and to call 911 or Drexel's dispatch center at 215-895-2222 if they see any suspicious behavior.
City regulations prohibit anyone from riding in the front seat of a taxi unless they are injured or otherwise cannot fit in the back, according to Lt. John Walker of the Philadelphia Police Department's Southwest Detective Division.
Walker described the suspect vehicle as a white and black Ford Crown Victoria with a white logo on the side.
An alert from the University of Pennsylvania's Division of Public Safety said the victims have been "males hailing cabs, late at night on weekends."
Public safety officials at both Drexel and the University of Pennsylvania said the victims had been consuming alcohol before entering the taxi.
The victim hails a taxi with two males in the front, and after the victim enters the cab, the front seat passenger displays a handgun and demands cash, cell phones and forces the victim to withdraw money from an ATM.
None of the victims have been Drexel students but interim Senior Associate Vice President of Public Safety Frederick Carbonara said he felt it was important to inform the Drexel community.
Drexel officials said two University of Pennsylvania students were victimized, however other officials have said only one student was victimized and a specific number was unable to be confirmed at the time of publishing.
"We are not aware of any of our students being victimized by this criminal behavior. However, we support notification to our campus community so they can be alert to this problem," Cabronara said in an e-mail.
Carbonara described the suspects as "black males, between 20 and 30 years old, 5'10" to 6', between 160-170 pounds. One male had a goatee and the other male was clean shaven."
He urged students to consider safety a "shared responsibility" and to call 911 or Drexel's dispatch center at 215-895-2222 if they see any suspicious behavior.
City regulations prohibit anyone from riding in the front seat of a taxi unless they are injured or otherwise cannot fit in the back, according to Lt. John Walker of the Philadelphia Police Department's Southwest Detective Division.
Walker described the suspect vehicle as a white and black Ford Crown Victoria with a white logo on the side.
An alert from the University of Pennsylvania's Division of Public Safety said the victims have been "males hailing cabs, late at night on weekends."
Public safety officials at both Drexel and the University of Pennsylvania said the victims had been consuming alcohol before entering the taxi.
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