Philadelphia police searching for Rittenhouse jewelry burglar
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Philadelphia police say a burglar got away with about $100,000 worth of jewelry from a store inside The Rittenhouse Hotel and they hope someone recognizes the alleged thief.
Police say surveillance video from Monday morning shows a man walking into the hotel around 11 a.m.
"It's sickening to me that that could happen right here," Jody Dimitruk, of Rittenhouse Square, said.
Living nearby, Dimitruk has questions about what happened.
"Why was the door unlocked? I don't understand why a door would be unlocked with that much money inside of there. I don't get that," she said.
"I would never think that if the store is closed, that the door would be open," Johana Loke, of Rittenhouse Square, said.
Egen Jewelry sells luxury hand-made pieces. Some items cost nearly $10,000. An attorney representing the owner says they have no comment.
Those CBS News Philadelphia showed the security video to had plenty to say.
"People should be able to run a business and not fear that they're going to get ripped off on a daily basis," John Deprince, works in Rittenhouse Squre, said.
Police say the suspect is believed to be about 50 years old and 5 feet 8 inches tall with a mustache. He was seen wearing a black knit hat, trench coat and multi-color sneakers.
Authorities also emphasize the suspect has a distinct walk, what appears to be a limp. If you know who he is you're urged to contact police.
CBS News Philadelphia looked at the number of commercial burglaries in Rittenhouse Square in 2022, finding more than 100.
That's the highest number since 2020 when much of the area saw civil unrest after the death of George Floyd. But it's almost twice as many as in 2019, before the pandemic.