Switchblade Robbery on Germantown Ave. Saturday

On the 8300 block of Germantown Avenue Saturday, Aug. 11, a man was approached by seven young men, according to police, around 5:15 p.m. One of the young men appraoched him with a switchblade knife.

The victim described the young man as being between 16 and 20 years old, with a medium complexion and wearing a red shirt and cargo shorts, police said. The assailant took the man's iPhone and feld with his companions eastbound on Hartwell Lane toward Ardleigh Street.

Similar incidents were reported recently in Chestnut Hill, according to police reports. Two of those robberies took place on East Hartwell Lane and a knife was used in each. A third incident took place near Germantown and Southampton avenues, and an undisclosed weapon was used.