Arrests Made in Early Morning College Park Robbery

Authorities say six people were taken into custody Saturday after an early morning robbery in College Park. 

According to University of Maryland police, three UMD students were walking in the area of Pontiac Street and Baltimore Avenue around 12:40 a.m. when they were approached from behind by three suspects.

The suspects reportedly asked if the students had any money. When they did not respond, the suspects assaulted the students before taking their valuables and fleeing on foot, police said.

After responding to the scene, Prince George's County and University of Maryland police conducted a search of the area. UMPD units eventually located one of the students' stolen cell phones and the three original suspects, police said.

The suspects were turned over to the PGPD along with three other individuals "who met up with the original group," according to the UMPD. Their names have not yet been released.

The robbery follows a string of similar incidents over the past several weeks in College Park, including an attempted robbery at The Varsity, a robbery at gunpoint on the UMD campus, and a robbery outside of Shanghai Café.

Authorities say an additional report of a robbery on Feb. 5 turned out to have been a fabrication by the victim.

Last week, University of Maryland police sought to allay public safety concerns by announcing that the department would increase uniform patrols and work closely with the PGPD Robbery Suppression Team.