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Unusual Crime Wave Hits Harvard Yard

Two daylight robberies still under investigation, one arrest made in Friday evening assault

One of the victims, a Harvard undergraduate who requested anonymity, said his first encounter with the suspects came as he and a friend were walking toward the Science Center and passed the group walking toward Johnston Gate.

The victim described the assault as a “gay-bashing” incident.

According to the victim, one of the suspects saw a rainbow flag on jacket of the victim’s friend and said, “What are you gay?”

The victim muttered to his friend “You can’t say that,” and the suspects heard.

One suspect replied, “Faggot, you talkin’ trash?” and then the group began to follow the victims, the victim said.

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One of the suspects threw a basketball at the back of the victim’s friend.

Immediately after this, another suspect threatened the Harvard undergraduate with a knife, taking out an object that appeared to be a knife and making slashing motions in the air.

After the victims and the suspect exchanged more words, the suspects fled the scene and the victims used the emergency blue light phone at Weld Hall to call the police, Catalano said.

HUPD responded immediately, since officers were already present in the Yard, and located the suspects going into the Church Street subway station entrance.

“In this case, the victims did the right thing, immediately using the blue light emergency phone and calling us. Because we maintain a presence in the Yard and they called so quickly, we were in a position to observe suspects as they were exiting the Yard,” Catalano said.

Although the group initially consisted of eight suspects, HUPD only stopped five—the others escaped onto the subway, despite HUPD and the Cambridge Police Department’s searches of the trains.

The victims were able to positively identify the remaining suspects, and HUPD arrested one of them—the individual who had displayed an object which appeared to be a knife.

When HUPD searched the juvenile, Catalano said, he was actually carrying a dinner fork.

The juvenile is charged with “assault by means of a dangerous weapon” and “threats to commit a crime.” He was released to his mother and will be arraigned in juvenile court today.

A charge of assault does not necessarily imply actual physical violence, only the threat thereof.

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