Heads up, Temple students!
Beware the Knock-Knock Bandits.
Police officials announced yesterday that two men are responsible for a recent spate of home invasion robberies involving unsuspecting Temple University students.
The armed crooks have targeted students who live in off-campus housing between 18th and 20th streets and Montgomery Avenue and Norris Street, said Capt. Sharon Seaborough, commander of Central Detectives.
From Oct. 15 to Nov. 6, the criminals struck five times. In each case, they knocked on the front door of a property and forced their way in when a student opened the door.
Once inside, the handgun-toting men herded the students together in one room and then went to work, stuffing laptops, cell phones, iPods, ATM cards and cash into trash bags, Seaborough said.
“What we don’t like is that they’re using guns and targeting students,” Seaborough said. “It seems like they’re striking between noon and 2 p.m., when they know the students will be home.”
In all, 16 students have been robbed, but none has been injured.
Seaborough said the victims have described the assailants as stocky black men in their 20s, both of whom are about 5 feet 9 and 200 pounds.
One of the robbers has a wiry beard, while the other is clean shaven with a mole on the left side of his face.
“They wear hooded sweatshirts, but no masks,” Seaborough said. “They used bandanas once, but even then, they pulled the bandanas down when they talked to the students.”
What we don’t like is that they’re using guns and targeting students... yes, I also don't like that they're using guns... duh— brendan from chinatown- Anytime someone knocks on the door, be cautious to see who it is, especially in North Philly. I used to live in Overbrook when I was a kid and one day this woman came screaming onto our porch and knocking on the door saying she was getting attacked. Thank god my dad just screamed back he was going to call the police because when he did they told him not to open the door and that the woman was simply putting on an act trying to get into people's homes to rob them.— Haleycat
- Temple should become a gated community.. just a thought.— Wise_Owl
- why does it seem that this city's colleges are either in or right next to crime-ridden neighborhoods?— BurbGuy
- When I went to Temple, a white student wrote to the Temple News protesting black attacks on white students-the black students who responded supported the attackers- if the students don't answer their doors, I'm sure that will be called racist-— steveat21
- temple should be a gated community? it should be hermetically sealed. maybe the robbers read that too many temple students are crammed housises in north philly and that was like a rat to cheese type thing for the ne'er do wells— danny ozark
- Peepholes, guys!!— br567rj
- Peepholes are a good idea--for the landlords to install.— Neal Obstat
- typicalwhite people KKK racist comments.— MIKEPETERS
- MIKEPETERS-Really ? I see one comment that marginally fits your description.— Yankee Air Pirate 12
- This was my roommate who was one of these victims. The men had been attempting the robbery all week, various knocks were heard. The men had came up and asked for a fake name. And yes wise owl, Temple should be...however...they would need to create enough housing for it's students first...I didn't even get housing as a freshman. Regardless of anything, temple needs to protect it's off campus students, and should have sent out email alerts informing the students...well they never did, only sent flyers to houses up until 18th street. My roomate was the 7th victim. and they are using guns...two really big desert eagles. What this article also fails to mention, is that this series of attacks may possibly be drug related. They wore yellow bandanas on this particular attack, but didn't pose any other harm other than the robbery.— pablohoney828
- I'm glad no one got hurt. This is just plain scary!— YouHaveGotToBeKidding
Dana DiFilippo has covered murder, mayhem and miscellany at the Daily News since 2000. She grew up in Delaware County and studied journalism and photography at Penn State University. E-mail tips to difilid@phillynews.com.
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Stephanie Farr has been reporting for the Daily News since 2007, covering everything from gay porn stars who entered the burglary business to moon trees, skinheads, murders and naked bike rides. She covers crime, both in the city and suburbs, and keeps clippings of bizarre Associated Press articles. Her favorite this year was the story about the drunk in Punxsutawney who gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a dead opossum. E-mail tips to farrs@phillynews.com.
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Phillip Lucas joined the Daily News crime team in 2011. He grew up on the mean streets of Seattle and studied journalism and psychology at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Before landing in the City of Brotherly Love, Phillip was a reporter for The News Journal in Wilmington, Del. Email tips to lucasp@phillynews.com.
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Morgan Zalot is the newest crime reporter at the Daily News, starting in 2011 after interning at the paper twice as a Temple University journalism student. In her past stints at the DN, she covered just about everything, from drunken Phillies fans to a barber shop in a high school to a grisly murder-suicide. She’s a born-and-raised Philly girl who grew up in the Northeast. E-mail tips to zalotm@philly.com.
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