Recent law grad discovered dead in Delaware

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New Castle County police are still investigating the death of Shazim Uppal, a 27-year-old Temple School of Law graduate who earned his degree in July.

Officers found Uppal in a parked sedan on the 100 block of Saint Claire Drive in Hockessin, Delaware. He had sustained gunshot wounds to the upper torso, and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Uppal was last seen driving a 2007 black Audi A8 Sunday between 10 and 11 p.m., investigators said. As of Wednesday afternoon, no new information about the investigation was available.

Craig Green, who taught Uppal in two law classes during his time at Temple, said he was saddened by the news.

“I had been meeting with him in the summer,” Green said. “He was preparing very hard for the New Jersey and Pennsylvania law board exams … it was a very tragic thing to hear about.”

He added that he last worked with Uppal in a guided research class during the summer, and last saw him after the Ramadan holiday.

“He was hard-working,” Green said. “He was a really kind person, had a gentle demeanor, and was very excited about finishing law school. He had a very bright future ahead of him, and we won’t see that come to fruition.”

“I was excited about seeing him in October after he passed the bar, which would’ve been the next time I would have seen him,” he added.

Tipsters, call the New Castle County Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Unit at 302-395-8110 or visit www.nccpd.com  

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steve.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.

Student attacked, robbed on Norris Street

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Police are searching for four men who attacked a 21-year-old Temple student Friday night on Norris Street near 15th Street.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said the victim was struck in the head by one of the suspects while walking east on Norris St around 10:00 p.m.

After surrendering $40, the suspects demanded the victim give them his phone, Leone said. The student offered some resistance before one of the suspects pulled out a knife, causing the victim to hand over the phone, Leone added.

The victim was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital following the attack, Leone said.

Leone described the suspects as four men between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-10 and between 16 and 19 years old. They were last seen wearing white and gray shirts with one of the suspects sporting a blue bandana over his face.

Police are hoping to find evidence leading to the suspects from security cameras in the area or by tracking the stolen phone, Leone said.

Jack Tomczuk can be reached at jack.tomczuk@temple.edu or on Twitter @JackTomczuk.

 

Student and friend robbed on N. 18th Street

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A 21-year-old Temple student and his friend were robbed around 3:10 a.m. Wednesday on the 1600 block of N. 18th Street.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said the victims were walking on N. 18th Street when a suspect approached them, flashed a handgun and demanded their money. The Temple student surrendered his wallet, while the other victim – also a 21-year-old male – gave the suspect his debit card, Leone said.

Leone said the suspect fled east toward Broad Street, and then north on N. 16th Street before jumping into a car on Cecil B. Moore Avenue. The two victims sustained no injuries, he added.

A TU Alert was sent out about the incident at around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Leone said that Campus Safety Services are checking cameras to try to identify the suspect. Leone said the suspect is a male who is estimated be about 5-foot-11, and was last seen wearing a light blue hooded sweatshirt.

Jack Tomczuk can be reached at jack.tomczuk@temple.edu or on Twitter @JackTomczuk.

Philly police investigating armed robbery on N. 16th Street

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Philadelphia police are searching for two men in connection with an aggravated assault and shooting that occurred on the 1700 block of N. 16th Street on Saturday night.

Police said they were called to an apartment on N. 16th Street shortly after 10:00 p.m. When they arrived at the scene, they said they found drips of blood as they were climbing the staircase, and a significant amount of blood inside the apartment itself. A silver Colt .357 caliber revolver was found behind the building, police added.

Three residents of the apartment reported that they were robbed at gunpoint inside the apartment, police said. The three victims – a 27-year-old woman, a 34-year-old man, and a 35-year-old man – were unharmed, police added.

The three residents said they did not have possession of a gun during the alleged robbery, according to police.

Investigators are looking for two perpetrators and the shooting victim(s). According to police, the suspects are described as two males in their mid-30s, one of them of slim build.

Jack Tomczuk can be reached at jack.tomczuk@temple.edu or on Twitter @JackTomczuk.

Roberts pleads guilty in hit-and-run accident involving Rachel Hall

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Rashan Roberts, the 18-year-old charged in the hit-and-run accident involving senior lacrosse player Rachel Hall in April, pled guilty at the Criminal Justice Center on Thursday morning.

According to court records, Roberts pled guilty to an accident involving death or personal injury. He was arrested by police on May 6, and waived his preliminary hearing on May 22.

Roberts told investigators he “panicked” when he struck Hall on her bicycle at the intersection of Diamond Street and Park Avenue on April 29. He was driving his father’s 2012 silver Mitsubishi Galant with a learner’s permit at the time, and quickly fled the scene after striking the senior lacrosse goalie.

His sentencing is scheduled for October 13, according to court records.

Kathy Hall, Rachel’s mother, has been posting updates on Hall’s status on a Facebook page titled “Rachel Hall Temple Strong.” On May 27, Kathy posted that Rachel had been transferred from Temple University Hospital to Magee Rehabilitation Hospital.

In the page’s most recent post, Kathy said that Rachel’s family and friends have set up a You Caring Fund page to help pay for her recovery costs. Through July 26, nearly $4,000 has been collected toward a $25,000 goal. To donate, visit http://www.youcaring.com/rachelhalltemplestrong.

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steve.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.

 

Bank robber steals $12,000 near School of Dentistry

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Police responded to an armed robbery at the PNC Bank Westmoreland Branch on Broad St. across from the School of Dentistry on Wednesday afternoon.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said that the suspect stole $12,000 from the bank, located on the 3200 block of N. Broad St. He fled south on Broad Street in the direction of W. Allegheny Ave., Leone added.

A TU Alert was sent out about the incident at around 2:50 p.m.

Leone described the suspect as a black male who is around 5 feet 9 inches tall and 215 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white tank top and light blue jeans with a white t-shirt covering his head.

The FBI will take the lead in the investigation, Leone said.

Jack Tomczuk can be reached at jack.tomczuk@temple.edu or on Twitter @JackTomczuk.

Woman shot after leaving bar near Main Campus

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Police are investigating a shooting that occurred at 17th Street and Susquehanna Avenue last night that resulted in one woman being sent to Temple University Hospital.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said three women were leaving Han Enterprises Inc., a bar located near the shooting. They got into a vehicle before hearing a gunshot at around 11 p.m., he said.

Moments later, the driver felt heat and pain in her back, and realized she had been shot, Leone said. He added that they stopped a Philadelphia Police officer on Diamond Street, who transported the victim to Temple University Hospital.

The Inquirer reported that the woman was driving a 2012 Mazda west on Susquehanna Avenue, and was turning south on 17th Street was she was hit by the stray bullet. Police said they found 10 spent shell casings and several viles of crack cocaine near the scene.

A TU Alert was sent out about the incident at around 11:30 Thursday night.

Frank Banford, commanding officer of Philadelphia Police’s Central Detectives Division, tweeted last night that anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call 215-686-3093. Tipsters can also contact Temple Police at 215-204-1234.

 

Cosby admitted in 2005 to giving drugs to women for sex

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Court documents have been released that indicate Bill Cosby gave Quaaludes to women he intended to have sex with, the Associated Press reported.

Cosby testified in 2005 that he got the drugs and was planning to give them to women he wanted to have sex with, admitting to giving the sedative to at least one woman and “other people,” according to documents obtained by the AP Monday.

The AP was previously denied access to these records – Cosby’s lawyers said it would embarrass their client. The documents obtained were part of a lawsuit involving a former Temple University employee, and Cosby testified that he gave her three half-pills of Benadryl, the AP reported.

Since last year, more than two dozen women have accused the longtime comedian of sexual assault, citing events dating back to the 1960s, the AP reported. Amid these allegations, Bill Cosby resigned from Temple’s Board of Trustees on Dec. 1 of last year. Cosby served on the board for more than three decades.

“I have always been proud of my association with Temple University,” Cosby said in a statement made available by the university following his resignation. “I have always wanted to do what would be in the best interests of the university and its students. As a result, I have tendered my resignation from the Temple University Board of Trustees.”

One of the lawyers who represented Cosby in the 2005 case was Patrick O’Connor, the current chairman of the Board of Trustees. The AP continues to investigate court records pertaining to the case in 2005. The board’s next public meeting is scheduled for July 14.

Police investigating armed robbery at T-Mobile store

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Police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred at the T-Mobile store at 1600 N. Broad Street at around 8:25 Monday morning.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said that the suspect entered the store through the rear door, and displayed a gun toward at the store’s employees. He took two deposit bags contained $6,000, and then fled the scene, Leone added.

Leone said that surveillance cameras last captured footage of the suspect walking east on Oxford Street from 12th Street, and that photos from those cameras are being reviewed by both Temple and Philadelphia police.

A TU Alert was sent out about the incident at around 8:50 a.m. No injuries were reported.

The suspect was described as a thin-built male in his 20s, last seen wearing a dark blue sweatshirt, blue jeans, sunglasses, black and blue Jordan sneakers and carrying a blue and white T-Mobile store bag. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact Temple Police at 215-204-1234.

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steven.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.

Police investigating armed robbery on Carlisle Street

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Temple Police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred early Wednesday morning on the 2000 block of Carlisle Street.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said that at around 2:50 a.m. on Wednesday, two non-Temple affiliated males were walking on Carlisle Street when another male exited a car and displayed a black revolver handgun. Leone added that the suspect demanded the victims’ money and phones, took the items and then fled north on Carlisle Street.

Leone said police saw the suspect get into a silver Mercury sedan on Susquehanna Avenue, which then sped off. Police are reviewing camera footage of the incident, he added.

A TU Alert was sent out at around 3:20 a.m. Leone said no injuries were reported. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact Temple Police at 215-204-1234.

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steven.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.