Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) officers apprehended suspects in an armed robbery on Talbot Ave. after midnight Friday morning. The suspects are currently in custody.
Two girls, both identified as juniors, were walking home Friday when two men armed with pellet-style guns and knives stole some of their personal belongings, according to Director of Public Safety John King.
"The weapon that was used was like a pellet gun - like a BB gun - and they also had two knives in their possession," King said. According to King, the robbers stole a book bag and some personal belongings, all of which were returned.
King said that Somerville police officers identified one of the two suspects as Francisco Escobar of Chelsea, Mass. Somerville Police told King that Escobar may be associated with the MS-13 gang.
MS-13, short for "Mara Salvatrucha" is a gang that originated in El Salvador and has been active in Somerville since the mid-1990s. In 2002, gang members allegedly raped two disabled teenage girls in Foss Park in East Somerville.
According to King, TUPD officers were patrolling the area at the time of the robbery. The suspects reportedly ran when they saw TUPD officers.
"[The victims] had used a cell phone and had dialed 911, and actually within moments of this robbery having occurred, two of our police officers happened upon the scene and noticed the individuals," King said. "As soon as [the suspects] saw the police, they began running. We got involved in the case before we even were notified that it happened."
King said that a short chase led to the capture of both suspects. "One of them was [apprehended] within minutes, he was chased to the campus center and was taken into custody there," King said. "The second person ran to a dumpster behind the campus center and was found just a few minutes later in that dumpster hiding."
Although the robbery took place on Friday, Public Safety did not send an e-mail to students until yesterday afternoon. King said this delay was because the incident did not pose an imminent threat.
"This was not a security alert type situation given that the two people are already in custody and have not been released," he said. "If the individuals had escaped we would've done a community alert."
One victim declined to comment, the other was not available for comment at press time.
