Author Archives: Lian Parsons

About Lian Parsons

can be reached at lian.parsons@temple.edu Or you can follow Lian on Twitter @Lian_Parsons Follow The Temple News @TheTempleNews

Suspect arrested in armed robbery south of Main Campus

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Naiem Lester, 18. | COURTESY PHILADELPHIA POLICE

Naiem Lester, 18. | COURTESY PHILADELPHIA POLICE

On Wednesday, police identified and arrested a suspect in an armed robbery that occurred Monday night on Thompson Street near 15th.

According to a press release from Philadelphia Police’s Department of Public Affairs, Naiem Lester, 18, of 10th Street near Thompson, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, robbery and recklessly endangering another person, among other offenses. Lester turned himself in Wednesday at the 18th District’s Headquarters and was then transported to the department’s Central Detectives Division for processing, police said.

The robbery occurred at about 10 p.m. Monday, police said.

The complainant, a 23-year-old female and two witnesses—a 22-year-old female and 20-year-old male—were approached by two men on Thompson Street, according to police.

Police said the complainant continued walking and the two suspects asked the witnesses where Cecil B. Moore Avenue was. They then walked westbound after the complainant, followed by the two witnesses.

The men threw the complainant to the ground and began to grab at her, police said. The female witness had the complainant’s purse at the time of the attack, and swung the purse the the offenders. She then saw that one of the men had a small handgun and she heard three gunshots, according to police.

Police said one of the men took the complainant’s purse and fled westbound on Thompson Street.

The complainant did not require medical treatment, and no other injuries were reported, according to police.

Police said Central Detective Division’s Special Investigations Unit developed a suspect and issued an arrest warrant Tuesday. The investigation of the incident is ongoing.

Lian Parsons can be reached at lian.parsons@temple.edu or on Twitter @Lian_Parsons.

Future TU holds first general assembly meeting

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The first Temple Student Government general assembly of the year convened Monday afternoon to introduce the new senior leadership team, as well as TSG committee directors.

The meeting opened with TSG’s mission statement, which promised to “provide a representative government to the student body.”

Student body president Ryan Rinaldi said general assemblies will be structured differently this year. Organization representatives will select one out of nine committees to join with during meetings and work towards the goal of making progress within that committee.

“We want [the assembly] to take an active approach this year,” Rinaldi said.

There will also be an overarching theme of each meeting, like that of Monday’s meeting: focus.

Director of Student Engagement Dr. Carmen Phelps outlined upcoming events for The Burrow, a new multicultural center for students on 2026 N. Broad St.

Owl Talk Tuesdays will be held every Tuesday in The Burrow or in another designated location. Owl Talks will be student-led discussions about current events and topics relating to understanding diversity and multiculturalism.

“It’s an opportunity to ask questions and share ideas,” Phelps said.

The kickoff event at The Burrow is Sept. 8.

Another upcoming event is a Labor Day picnic on Sept. 7, organized by project coordinator for campus safety, Captain Eileen Bradley. Temple students, faculty and staff are invited to a cookout with the community on 15th and Page streets.

TSG is also seeking a publicist, a director of local and community affairs and a webmaster. Applicants are encouraged to apply via email to speaker of the house Jacob Scheiner (jacob.scheiner@temple.edu) or secretary Mack Caruso (mack.caruso@temple.edu).

Lian Parsons can be reached at lian.parsons@temple.edu or on Twitter @Lian_Parsons.

Police searching for several suspects in last night’s robberies

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Temple Police responded to an armed robbery of a student at 18th Street and Montgomery Avenue around 11:00 p.m. on Friday. A second robbery of a student’s residence in the 1500 block of 13th Street occurred around 1 a.m. on Saturday.

TU Alerts were sent out about both incidents, at around 11:30 p.m. and 1 a.m., respectively.

Philadelphia Police were nearby when the robbery on 18th Street and Montgomery occurred, and they took the student in their car to survey the area, Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said in an email.

Four males approached the student, one of whom displayed a gun, Leone said. An iPhone and cash were taken from the student before the suspects fled north on 18th Street from Montgomery Avenue.

No injuries were reported.

Both Temple and Philadelphia police are still searching for the suspects involved in the second robbery, and additional police are patrolling the area. Private cameras on apartments are also being checked, Leone said.

The home robbery was the same house that was robbed on Wednesday, April 30, when two suspects armed with a gun took $5,000 and a quarter pound of marijuana from the residence.

Police believe that the suspects in this case are five males, one of whom was armed with a gun.

No injuries were reported.

“The student will not cooperate with police,” Leone said.  “We cannot get any information from the complainant.”

However, Leone said he believes that the robbery of the same complainant is drug-related.

Lian Parsons can be reached at lian.parsons@temple.edu or on Twitter @Lian_Parsons.

$5,000 and quarter pound of marijuana stolen in robbery of student residence

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Temple Police responded to a possibly drug-related armed robbery of a student’s apartment on 13th Street between Jefferson and Oxford streets, around 10 p.m. on Wednesday.

A student reported that there were two males outside the apartment around 10 p.m., Charlie Leone, executive director of campus safety services, said in an email.

Two students entered the apartment with the two suspects, who said they were waiting for the students’ friend, Leone said.

The two suspects then pushed into the home, displaying a gun and entered an apartment where another student lived, Leone said.

The suspects demanded that the student open his safe, Leone said. The suspects took $5,000 in cash and a quarter pound of marijuana before fleeing the area.

No injuries were reported.

“We believe the student is involved in selling drugs,” Leone said. “Students getting involved with selling drugs out of their apartments increases the risks for being a victim of crime. We are very lucky no one was hurt.”

A TU Alert was issued around 11 p.m.

TUPD is coordinating with Philadelphia Police’s Central Detectives Unit as well as reviewing security camera video footage to search for the suspects.

Lian Parsons can be reached at lian.parsons@temple.edu or @Lian_Parsons on Twitter.

Students robbed near 16th and Oxford streets

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Two students were robbed on 16th and Oxford streets around 8:45 p.m. Sunday, police said.

The students were walking on Oxford Street towards 16th Street and were approached by a male who displayed a handgun, Charlie Leone, executive director of Campus Safety Services said in an email. No injuries were reported.

Two cellphones and a wallet were taken. The suspect then fled west on Oxford Street, Leone said. He is described as thin, with a mustache, wearing a dark jacket over a gray hooded sweatshirt.

Lian Parsons can be reached at lian.parsons@temple.edu or on Twitter @Lian_Parsons.

2 suspects sought in robbery of student at off-campus apartment

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A 23-year-old student and 21-year-old former student were robbed and attacked in the basement of an apartment on the 1800 block of Cecil B. Moore Avenue around 9:45 p.m. Monday, police said.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said in an email that there is an ongoing search for two suspects who were armed with a gun and a knife and struck the former student in the head. Surveillance footage from local businesses and surrounding properties is being checked, he said.

Police found drug paraphernalia and are also investigating possible marijuana usage in the apartment, Leone said.

“The place may be known to have parties that increased risk for this directed crime,” Leone said.

Two cell phones and a Sony Playstation system were taken. The complainants were taken to Philadelphia police’s Central Detective Division.

The former student initially denied medical attention, but was taken for evaluation at Temple University Hospital, Leone said.
Lian Parsons can be reached at lian.parsons@temple.edu or @Lian_Parsons on Twitter.