A pair of robbers who struck here late Tuesday night. Police say a student visiting from Villanova University was coming down Magill Walk from the library when he was suddenly knocked to the ground by a pair of suspects who appeared out of nowhere near some dorms.
They took his laptop computer, a cellphone, nearly $60 in cash and debit cards.
It is presumed the attackers were armed.
"Something hard was pressed agains the back of his head, and one of the suspects said twice 'Should we shoot him?'" said Swarthmore Police Chief Brian Craig. "So, it's very traumatic for the victim."
Less than an hour earlier, in a Springfield CVS parking lot just two miles from the college campus, two men used the same methods to rob a Morton man getting into his U-Haul van.
Police say the descriptions match the Swarthmore muggers. They are convinced it was the same duo.
The campus is on high alert.
"We've increased our patrols, we've reminded our students to stay vigilant and to report any suspicious activity," said college spokewoman Alisa Giardinelli. "We take the safety of everyone here very seriously."
The college already has an escort service for late night travellers, but the student body is rattled.
"There's just an overal feeling of shock. I know everyone in my classes, my professors as well, everyone was very surprised and, I think, a little bit uneasy about the whole thing," said student Nina Pealeaz.
Anyone who knows anything about the crime is asked to call either Swarthmore or Sprinfield police.
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