Newly revealed information is aiding Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) Lieutenant Detective Charles Lonero in his investigation into the Dec. 4 armed robbery of four students in room 189 of South Hall. Two suspects, who were allowed into the dorm by at least one of the victims, held one student at gunpoint and stole over $1,000 worth of cash and valuables.
Prior to the winter recess, a witness came forward and told investigators he had interacted with one of the suspects during the first week of school.
Freshmen Paul Peronnin and Andrew Ely, who lived in the room, have since moved as a security precaution. Two new students now occupy the room. Though the victims knew the assailants, the information they provided did not help investigators identify the perpetrators.
Lonero would not release specifics or confirm the names of the victims, but said that police were considering the possibility that the robbery was drug-related. "The drug angle is being investigated," he said.
The Boston Police Department created a composite photo of the suspect, which TUPD and the Somerville police are showing in areas the suspect may frequent. Investigators are aware of the first name of one suspect, but say there are two or more possible names for the second.
In December, police removed furniture and other items the assailants might have touched. They are still being processed for forensic evidence. Lonero said he hopes police will find a match on the items when they apprehend a suspect.
One promising lead has turned into a dead end. When provided with what the South Hall residents believed to be one of the suspect's cell phone numbers, investigators obtained a search warrant to inspect phone records. One of the victims had used the number to contact a suspect, but the cell phone turned out to be stolen, and phone records yielded no clues.
