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Second armed robbery in three days near Harvard campus

Print | Comments () Posted by Erica Noonan November 14, 2010 07:24 PM

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By Ashley Portero, Globe Correspondent

A Cambridge man was arrested early yesterday morning after firing a gun at a police officer and attempting to rob three Harvard University freshmen at gunpoint, according to statements from the Cambridge Police and Harvard University Police Departments.

Kai Robert Kruger, 21, of Cambridge, was arrested and faces charges of armed robbery and assault with intent to murder.

Kruger, who had allegedly stolen the students' wallets, credit cards and cell phones before the officer’s arrival, will be arraigned tomorrow morning at Middlesex Superior Court, Cambridge Police spokesman Dan Riviello said.

According to the statement from Cambridge Police, one of their officers was patrolling Brattle Street at approximately 2 a.m. on Saturday morning when he came across four males, one of whom appeared to be acting suspiciously.

When the officer stopped to investigate, the man later identified as Kruger fled across the street towards a nearby construction site, and proceeded to fire one shot at the pursuing officer when he caught up with him.

The shot missed, and Kruger fell down a set of stairs he had been standing on, the statement said. The officer then disarmed Kruger and took him into custody without incident.

No one was injured during the pursuit or arrest of the suspect, Riviello said.

The incident marks the second armed robbery around the Harvard campus in the past several days, following the mugging a man in Harvard Yard early Thursday morning. It is unclear if the two robberies are connected, and the investigation is still ongoing, Riviello said.

According to a statement from Harvard Police, the university has added additional officers on patrol and have increased their visibility in and around Harvard Yard since Thursday’s robbery.

Ashley Portero can be reached at aportero@globe.com