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Video: Search on for suspect in Temple prof's beating, robbery

Police this morning are seeking a man captured on surveillance video entering a building on Temple's main campus Tuesday who they believe beat and robbed a professor in his office.

According to police, the 81-year-old professor was sitting at a computer in his office at Anderson Hall off Polett Walk when an unidentified man entered at 11:20 a.m.  The man punched the professor in the face and held a knife to his throat. He then demanded his wallet, police said.

After robbing the professor, he punched him again, causing cuts to the face and head, as well as "swelling and bleeding" to the brain.  The professor was taken to Temple Hospital.

The suspect is described as a black male, 35-40 years-of-age, with a mustache and close-cropped beard.  He was wearing a dark colored jacket, blue jeans and a lanyard around his neck.

The school has security posts at all entrances requiring those entering to either show ID or sign-in.

The Daily News reported that the incident occurred in the same campus building where, in November 2007, a 22-year-old graduate student was brutally beaten and raped in a bathroom by a man who was not a student but still managed to get into the building.

Temple University spokesman Ray Betzner said that he could not recall a faculty member being attacked before.

"This is extremely unusual," he said. "In my 10 years here, I cannot recall a single case of a faculty member being assaulted, so this is a very, very unusual situation."

Temple sent a campus-wide email this morning saying security has been "enhanced" at Anderson Hall.

Police say anyone with information should call 911; place a tip by calling 215.686.TIPS (8477); or, texting PPD TIP or 773847.