Teens beaten by mob in Center City subways

CENTER CITY - November 18, 2010 (WPVI) -- SEPTA and Philadelphia police patrols were increased along several Center City subway concourses during the after-school rush hour Thursday as a result of two assaults and robberies by teenagers a day before. Each time, the victims were also teens.

An 18-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl were attacked by approximately twelve males at 3:05 p.m. near a stairwell at Broad and Chestnut. The victims sustained cuts and bruises after being kicked and punched in the attack.

In the scuffle, one of the assailants took the girl's purse, which is valued at $100.

The victims were taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital where they were treated for their injuries and released.

The teens told police that they didn't know any of the assailants.

The attack happened about one block from SEPTA's Walnut-Locust subway station. The station has more than 40 surveillance cameras. However, the assault occurred on city property where there are no cameras.

Police are hoping that other cameras may have captured pictures of those in the mob.

Moments earlier, police say 3 teenage males attacked a 15-year old boy on the tunnel concourse beneath the Municipal Services Building which continues over to City Hall.

Police say the victim was knocked to the ground and robbed. He too was treated at a hospital and released. Once again, the attack happened on city property without any surveillance cameras.

These kinds of teen on teen crimes in the subway system are down dramatically from last year.

The decline is credited to the saturation patrolling by city and SEPTA police during these peak hours.

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beating, assault, robbery, center city, philadelphia, pennsylvania, SEPTA, vernon odom, crime

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