By Jim Clark

A reported unarmed robbery brought police to a Beacon St. location in the early morning hours of Jan. 12.

The emotionally distraught victim told police that while she was on her way to work, as she crossed Somerville Ave. coming from Belmont St., she noticed a man walking along the opposite side of the street.

The woman reportedly said that she thought little of it at the time, but when she arrived at her place of employment on Beacon St. the man, later identified as Sean Coiley, 33, approached her and asked her for the time. She replied that it was 5:33 a.m., at which time he reportedly answered, “It’s early.”

A moment later, according to the victim, Coiley lunged at her and grabbed her backpack, taking it away from her as he knocked her to the ground after a short struggle.

The victim told police that Coiley then ran away with her backpack towards the Shaw’s market parking lot.

The woman said that the backpack contained her passport, a credit card, a debit card, and other items.

As the parking lot has only one outlet, onto Kent Ct. and Kent St., the investigating officer advised responding units of the incident’s location and furnished a description of the suspect and the backpack.

Coiley was shortly thereafter spotted on Kent St. and held by police for a show-up identification by the victim, who positively identified him as the robber.

Coiley was subsequently placed under arrest for unarmed robbery.

A search of the immediate area of the arrest turned up no sign of the stolen backpack and Coiley did not offer any information as to its whereabouts.