Robbers took Durham teens' clothes along with valuables

The crime happened a little after midnight near the intersection of Red Oak Avenue and Lane Street.

A group of teens had been hanging out on Sandy Fuller's front porch with her daughter, and three boys were walking home after the gathering had broken up when they were robbed.

"They got stripped down completely," Fuller said Tuesday. "They took his phone, shoes, made him naked."

A police report shows the robbers got away with clothes, two smartphones and a necklace, valued at more than $1,000 total.

The teens then ran to Ralph Matthews' front door nearby and begged him for help.

"When I opened the door, there were two young men who looked to be about the age of 15 or 16 years old standing there in their underwear and socks," Matthews said.

He called police and got towels for the teens to wrap around themselves.

"I was trying to keep an eye on them because I wasn't sure if the robbers were coming back," he said.

Investigators returned to the neighborhood Tuesday to try to identify the robbers.

Matthews said the robbery concerns him, but he's glad he could help.

"I think I'm obligated to make sure this neighborhood is safe for all my neighbors and anybody who visits this neighborhood," he said.