Driver robbed and shot while delivering pizza in Philadelphia's Elmwood Park section was set up, police say
A pizza delivery driver was hospitalized after he was robbed and shot in the Elmwood Park section of Philadelphia late Saturday night.
Philadelphia Police Inspector D F Pace said the driver was delivering to the 6700 block of Paschall Avenue just before 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 7 when four young men approached his car, stole the pizza and cash, and then shot him in the groin and left thigh.
Pace said the driver was able to drive himself to the nearby 12th Precinct to report the incident and was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. The driver has serious injuries, but is currently in stable condition, police said.
When officers went to the shooting location to investigate, they found two males walking with boxes of pizza on the 2200 block of Hobson Street. Police said Sunday afternoon that one of the young men fled into an alley, while another was stopped by officers.
Police eventually caught up with the suspect who ran from officers, and arrested him while he tried to hide under a car.
Two more individuals were found inside a home on the 2200 block of Hobson Street, police said Sunday. The four suspects, who are 15, 16, 17 and 19 years old, were identified as the individuals involved in the shooting and robbery and taken into custody at the scene.
On Monday, police identified the 19-year-old suspect as Baraka Coffee from the 2200 block of South Hobson Street. Coffee is charged with criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault, robbery, theft-unlawful taking, theft-receiving stolen property, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
According to police, the 17-year-old is the suspected shooter, and the firearm investigators believe was used on the driver, a .22 caliber rifle, was found on a nearby driveway.
The three remaining teens are being charged with aggravated assault, robbery, theft-receiving stolen property and other related counts.
Pace said it appears that the four young people set up the delivery driver to intentionally rob him.
