Arrest Imminent in Point Boro HS Student Robbery

A 17-year-old boy who lives outside Point Borough is expected to be arrested today for allegedly striking a Borough High School girl's arm and stealing her cell phone, said Borough Police Captain Richard Larsen on Tuesday morning.

"Within the next few hours, he should be in custody," said Larsen at about 9:15 a.m. Tuesday.

He said police also know the identities of two other 17-year-old boys who were with the suspect when the one robbed the girl shortly after 11 a.m. Monday on Old Drift Road and that the investigation is continuing. Larsen said he expects police to bring the other two boys in for questioning today as part of that ongoing investigation.

The victim, who was not hurt, was not alone when she was robbed, Larsen said.

"There were several witnesses to this," he said, adding that while the victim did not know the suspect, police investigated leads and were able to identify the three men on Monday.

The robbery prompted the district administration to keep students inside the school for the lunch periods today, possibly longer, pending the outcome of the police investigation.

The incident has also sparked a bit of a local debate in Patch comments under Monday's original story on the incident and on Facebook, as well as around town, about whether the district should continue to allow high school students to go off school grounds for lunch during the various lunch periods scheduled at various times during the school day.

When asked if Monday's incident is uncommon regarding high school students out to lunch, Larsen said, "This was a robbery with some force, he struck her arm and then took the phone. We haven't had a robbery committed against any high school students out to lunch in recent history. I don't remember anything like this in the last five years."

The incident seems to be an aberration, he said, adding, "Things can happen to anyone anywhere."

Patch will update this story as developments unfold.

Do you think the high school should continue to allow students to eat lunch off campus? If you are a high school parent: do you allow your child to eat off campus and will you continue to do so?