(NECN: Josh Brogadir, Brookline, Mass.) - Police are hoping new leads can help them catch the suspects behind a string of recent armed robberies in a part of Brookline, Mass. heavily populated by college students.
Brookline Police say they are taking these robberies very seriously and are working in coordination with Boston University Police and Boston Police after a fourth mugging on Tuesday night in the northern part of Brookline, which is an area right near Boston University's campus on Commonwealth Avenue.
Police have surveillance video of the suspects, and described them as three young, black males in their teens or early 20s.
All of the victims are either currant or former Boston University students. The first armed robbery happened on Sept. 23, followed by a second one on Sept. 25 and a third armed robbery on Oct. 5.
Police say no one was hurt in any of the incidents, and things that were stolen were backpacks, cell phones, wallets and laptops, and say it is possible that these armed robberies are the product of a group working together.
"One other thing that was a commonality between the robberies is that they take the handgun and it is held in front of their body at their waist as they speak to the victims," says Brookline Police Chief Dan O'Leary.
"We do have a crime that is certainly consistent with a large city, but nothing to this extent in terms of the pattern, the short time period, the armed robberies," says Boston University Police Chief Tom Robbins. "We have certainly had some street robberies, which means snatch and grab, without weapons."
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Boston University is getting very involved in the investigation, and is offering a $10,000 reward leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects. The university is also hosting a meeting Wednesday night for its students at 8 p.m. on campus.
If you have any information about these armed robberies and want to remain anonymous, you can call Crimestoppers at 1-800-494-TIPS.
