4 Female Temple University Students Bound, Robbed During Home Invasion
By Jenn Bernstein
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Four Temple University students are Philadelphia's latest home invasion victims.
Police say the ordeal happened sometime after 7 p.m. Monday night when a student was walking to her apartment off campus in the 1800 block of North 18th Street.
As she pulled out her key and opened the door, police say a man wearing a red-hooded sweatshirt came up to her, and forced her into the building at gunpoint.
He then allowed two other accomplices into the home, and rounded up the woman's three other roommates who were inside; all are Temple students.
"The three perpetrators then tied up all four females with duct tape, their wrists, their ankles, as well as their mouths," said Chief Inspector Scott Small.
The three men rifled through their belongings, taking their cell phones, iPads, $400 in cash, credit cards, and other personal property according to police.
The suspects then took off.
Police are now searching for the three men, and any leads.
"We did find some private surveillance cameras in the area that hopefully captured the perpetrators coming or going, or hopefully both," said Inspector Small.
Neighbor Kevin Vannauker was pulling up as the first police officer arrived.
In the past, he says burglars have targeted his apartment.
"I'm pretty shocked that they were tied up, not shocked that they were robbed," said Vannauker. "You gotta be constantly watching your back out here."
Police are also hoping the suspects left DNA at the scene. They will specifically check if they left fingerprints on the duct tape.
Philadelphia Police describe the three suspects as black men in their early twenties. They say the first is about 5'7", 170 pounds with a stocky build, wearing a red hoody and armed with a black revolver. The second suspect is about 5'10", 150 pounds with a thin build and goatee, wearing a gray hoody and blue jeans, armed with a gray revolver. The third suspect is about 5'9", 165 pounds with a medium build and short hair, wearing a black hoody and black jeans, armed with a black revolver.
