Police Investigating Robbery Spree In South Philly
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- "He runs up on the sidewalk from the street with a gun already out so it's really brazen."
Philadelphia Police Captain Sekou Kinebrew is describing surveillance video that the police department released this week of an armed robbery of two men in their early 20s on the 2100 block of Carpenter Street on April 2.
The Carpenter Street robbery is just one of the latest in a string of armed robberies in South Philadelphia. Police say they have investigated a total of five robberies with a similar pattern.
"This neighborhood I just have felt is pretty safe and it's playgrounds everywhere and just kind of disturbing that something like that would be happening," expressed neighbor Jim Armstrong.
According to police, the first armed robbery occurred on March 10 near third and Fitzwater Streets. The second happened on March 19 on the 700 block of 9th Street.
Police say the suspects stole cash, iPhones, credit cards, and debit cards.
Surveillance video shows one of the suspects walking inside the Wawa at South 2nd Street. He walks up to an ATM, inserts the victim's debit card and steals their cash.
Some neighbors say they will be more vigilant.
"Thankfully, no one injured in any of these, no one got shot or anything like that, but it's a harrowing experience none the less and we obviously want to get these guys off the street," said Captain Kinebrew.
Both suspects are men. Police believe one is in his late teens to early twenties and the other is between the age of 20 and 30s.
To date, police have investigated a total of five similar robberies in the 3rd and 17th Districts:
- Incident #1: March 10: 300 block of Fitzwater Street
- Incident #2: March 19: 700 block of South 9th Street
- Incident #3: April 1: 1000 block of Fitzwater Street
- Incident #4: April 2, 900 block of Fitzwater Street
- Incident #5: April 2: 2100 block of Carpenter Street
If you recognize or know either of the suspects, you are asked to call police at 215-686-TIPS.
