Cops: Home invasions near Temple University are connected
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Temple student was among four victims of a Monday morning home invasion and robbery in North Philadelphia, police say. It was the second home invasion on that block this month, and part of what may be a pattern.
In the most recent incident, two men entered a home on the 1900 block of North 18th Street, near Berks, around 6:18 a.m., forcing the door open.
The men locked four residents in the bathroom while they took several items from the home including a Glock handgun, phones, a tablet, smart watches, a MacBook Pro laptop and the keys to a black Mitsubishi owned by one of the victims.
Both men were clad in all-black clothing, masks and New Balance sneakers. They fled in the Mitsubishi heading northbound on 18th Street.
No one was injured in the incident, but the robbery has tenants of the home thinking they'd like to move.
"I don't want to live around here anymore," a student who did not want to be identified said. "You always hear about it and I thought we'd be alright. But eventually, it happens I guess."
The student lives at the home that was robbed Monday morning but was not there when it took place. His roommates were asleep when the suspects came in.
Philadelphia police say the suspects will be identified and caught.
"They're brazen," Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore said about the suspects in a news conference Monday. "It's obvious and they're not afraid, and we see that a lot these days."
Third home invasion near university this month
This is the third home invasion robbery at an off-campus residence this month. All three happened between 4 and 7 a.m., and Temple students appear to be the targets.
On Nov. 11, there was a home invasion on the 1300 block of North 15th Street around 7 a.m. Eleven Temple students were in the home at the time.
Around 4:40 a.m. on Nov. 9, three armed suspects broke into a home on the 1900 block of North 18th Street, entering through an open door. They took cash, phones, keys and credit cards from three residents, police say.
The Nov. 9 and Nov. 21 robberies happened on the same block.
The university said, "all leads are being explored."
University shares safety tips
In a statement, the university's vice president for public safety mentioned Temple's Best Nest program, which helps students find off-campus housing that meets certain safety criteria. Landlords can register for the program to be included in rental listings available to students.
The university says $2,500 grants are available for landlords to install lights or cameras to improve security at their property.
