Police make arrest after knife-point robbery

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Friday, December 15, 2006

Police have arrested a suspect following a Thursday night robbery in which a student was held at knifepoint in the foyer of his Howe Street apartment.

Yale Police Department Chief James Perrotti announced the arrest to members of the Yale community in an e-mail on Friday, saying the YPD and the New Haven Police Department are working on adding police coverage to the Howe street area beyond the walking beats currently in place in there. The student involved in the robbery, Chad Callaghan ’07, escaped unharmed.

Callaghan, a senior in Morse college, said a man followed him into the foyer of his building at 70 Howe Street when he was walking home from the University Theater at around 11:30 p.m. Assuming the man also lived in the complex, Callaghan said, he was about to open the second door of the building when the man slammed the door closed and pulled out a knife.

After ordering him to surrender his wallet, Callaghan said, the man removed the cash and threw the wallet on the ground on his way out.

Callaghan said he was shocked by the robbery because it took place on a brightly-lit street near the University security station on Edgewood Avenue. He was also surprised that someone with his physical stature would be targeted, he said.

“I’m six feet and 180 pounds and I’m [still] a target,” he said. “I will not let friends walk home from my apartment alone anymore … A lot of my smaller friends have never thought twice about walking home alone before.”

Despite the incident, Callaghan said, he still feels safe in the area because of the quick police response and investigation. Callaghan is a scene columnist for the News.

NHPD Spokeswoman Bonnie Winchester confirmed the details of the incident, but the name of the suspect has not been released.

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