Five armed robberies occurred on or near Brown's campus early Tuesday morning and yesterday morning. Two suspects, one male and one female, were identified by victims and arrested yesterday morning.
The robberies yesterday occurred within a four-block radius between Brown Street and Hope Street, according to Providence Police Department reports.
Around 3:28 a.m. yesterday, three Herald editors — two male juniors and one female junior — were approached on Charlesfield Street by a male and a female in a light-colored sedan. While the female suspect remained silent, the male got out of the vehicle and asked for directions to the Fish Company, according to statements filed with the Providence police by the victims. Wielding a wrench or other tool, he then demanded money. The students gave him $40 and two cell phones. The male suspect then returned to the vehicle and fled eastbound on Charlesfield.
The victims described the male subject as white, around 5 feet 8 inches tall, of medium build with facial hair and wearing a white tank top. The female had dark hair and was wearing a dark sweatshirt, according to the police report.
At approximately 3:40 a.m., a vehicle and suspects of the same description approached two seniors, one male and one female, at the intersection of George and Brook streets. The male suspect asked for directions to Thayer Street before demanding money from the victims. The victims threw their wallets, cell phones and keys on the ground. The suspect took the wallets and phones but left the keys. He returned to the vehicle and headed eastbound on George toward Hope, according to the police report.
A male senior was robbed in the same fashion at approximately 3:47 a.m. on the corner of Hope and Young Orchard streets. After asking for directions to Thayer, the male suspect reached into the victim's front jacket pocket and took his wallet, according to the police report. The subject drove away northbound on Hope.
Around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, a female Providence resident was held at knife-point on downtown Weybosset Street near Peck Street. A white male suspect and a female suspect with long curly hair took her cell phone, jacket, ATM card and $15 before fleeing "down Peck" in a silver sedan, according to the police report.
At around 1:16 a.m. the same night, a female senior and male junior were walking on Brook near Waterman Street when a man exited a vehicle holding a knife with a four-inch blade and demanded money. The male victim gave him approximately $35. The suspect searched the female victim's jacket but did not take money from her. The vehicle continued north on Brook and then turned into Fones Alley. The victims stated there were three others in the vehicle, including a light-skinned Hispanic female in the passenger seat, according to the police report.
According to the report, while the victims of yesterday's second robbery were providing statements to Providence police, a police patrol car stopped a silver vehicle with passengers matching the victims' descriptions of the suspects at the intersection of Pine and Chestnut streets. Police escorted the victims of all three of yesterday's robberies to the intersection, where they all identified Jayson Esposito of North Providence, 26, and Venessa Viveiros of Pawtucket, 23, as the pair who robbed them.
In an email sent yesterday around 12:30 p.m., the Department of Public Safety announced to the community that the two people responsible for all five crimes had been arrested earlier in the morning.
