A man received minor bruises after reportedly being beaten and robbed by three unidentified assailants. The strong-arm robbery occurred on February 23 at 12:35 a.m., in the 5200 block of South Blackstone Avenue. The man was reportedly walking down the street when he was approached by three other men, who then struck him numerous times with their fists, sending him to the ground. According to police reports, the offenders took two bottles of prescription medication from the victim before fleeing the scene. The victim was bruised from the attack but refused medical attention.

Six patrons and employees of a Sprint/Nextel cellular phone store—located in the 5200 block of South Blackstone Avenue—were robbed at gunpoint on February 24 at 9:03 p.m. According to police reports, two unidentified men armed with handguns entered the retail store and proceeded to take currency and personal property from all six people in the store. The offenders then ordered the victims into the back of the store and into the bathrooms, ordering everyone to stay until they had left. At that point, the attackers fled the premises and the victims called the police. The victims described one of the men as a black man, age 30 to 35 years, 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-11, 209 to 215 pounds, light complexion, wearing a brown dark coat, black pants, and black boots.

The other offender was described as a black man, age 35 to 38 years, 6-foot to 6-foot-2, 210 to 230 pounds, medium to dark complexion, wearing a black leather coat with a fur hood, blue jeans, and black shoes. Police are investigating.