Temple and Philadelphia police are looking for two suspects for two attempted robberies which happened around 4 p.m Wednesday, one on the 1400 block of Diamond Street and the other on the 1500 block of Broad Street.
Witnesses on the 1400 block of Diamond Street said a suspect – described as a female about 18 years old and 5 feet 3 inches tall – struggled for a bag with a female around 20-24 years old before the suspect sliced her with a utility box cutter, injuring the victim’s arm and forehead.
Police said another suspect drove a vehicle but did not leave it, and no description was offered. The alleged victim is not affiliated with Temple.
More people who were at the scene of the Diamond Street incident said they arrived after hearing a scream. Witnesses stopped and crowded around the alleged victim, using towels and compression to prevent her bleeding as she sat on the front steps of a building.
Charlie Leone, executive director of Campus Safety Services, said in an email that the two suspects drove a 2005 white Buick LaCrosse with a sunroof. Prior to the first attempted robbery they arrived at 7-Eleven at Broad and Diamond streets and went inside for a short time, then traveled west on Diamond Street to the site of the first incident, he said.
Leone said the suspects returned to their vehicle after the first robbery attempt and drove south on 15th Street from Diamond Street.
A police officer arrived at the site of the Diamond Street incident by 3:55 p.m. and an ambulance arrived by 4:02 p.m. The victim was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital, but was not seriously injured.
Two TU Alerts were sent out, the first at about 4:50 p.m. describing the Diamond Street robbery attempt and noting two suspects and the description of the vehicle. The second, sent around 6 p.m., noted the Broad Street robbery and had the same description of the two suspects.
Leone said Temple Police officers had stopped one car fitting the description in the alert, but it was not the suspects.
Temple and Philadelphia police are reviewing security footage, as well as footage from 7-Eleven, Leone said. Anyone with information is encouraged to call 911.
Lian Parsons can be reached at lian.parsons@temple.edu or on Twitter @Lian_Parsons.
