Two men took a tumble after stealing from a Verizon store on South Street, police said.
The suspects entered the Verizon store on 322 South Street back on January 3rd at 3:45 p.m. Investigators say they stole cell phones from the display shelves. As the men ran out of the store they both slipped and fell on the floor. They then got up and fled the scene.
If you have any information on the suspects, please call Philadelphia Police at 215-686-3013/3014.
THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF A FREAKISH EVENT
I remember it as if it were yesterday, but it occurred 40 years ago. It seems like such a trivial thing-no one was hurt, or even inconvenienced by it. By “IT," I mean snow. And I mean just a few flakes of it. But it was the first time snow was ever observed in Miami, Florida, and everyone seemed to go nuts.
It made news all over the world. Even Johnny Carson did a joke about it in his monologue that night. People who had never seen this before pointed up to the sky as if they were seeing a flying saucer. A local hardware store, in jest, put up a sign stating: “Today’s Special-Snow Shovels."
“YES, THAT IS SNOW ON THE RADAR”. “NO, IT CAN’T BE.”
That was the conversation between me-the loudmouth intern, and my supervisor of the Radar & Public Service section of The National Hurricane Center in Miami. I was on the midnight shift, and started seeing reports of snow in North Florida (Tallahassee and Jacksonville) when I came in. Every hour or two, more reports came in as the snow spread southward through the state.
By about 7 a.m., my supervisor came in, just as I was about to do something no one had ever done-make an official report of snow on the Miami radar. Things were primitive back then, using teletype to send information. I had started the report with “R-S-," meaning light rain and snow. But he wouldn’t let me send it.
“We’ve never had snow here-it can’t be snow," he said.
So far, no snow had been observed south of West Palm Beach.
I replied, “But I’m from Pennsylvania. I know what snow looks like on radar.”
It wasn’t long after that when the calls started. It was snowing in the Fort Lauderdale area. Some people were actually screaming at me, as if a monster had broken into their house. “IT’S SNOWING! I SWEAR IT’S SNOWING!” After a few calls we were convinced it was really happening. Then the calls started coming in from the Miami area-as far south as Homestead. Snow was even reported in Freeport in the Bahamas. By then, I was allowed to report it officially on radar. But it never did snow officially at Miami International Airport, so the record books need an asterisk.
WHAT WEIRD PATTERN CAUSED THE WEIRD WEATHER?
It had to be an extreme pattern-after all, this was unprecedented. Here is the upper-air map from that time, along with the headline as big as if World War III had started…..
The now infamous Polar Vortex had dropped near Maine. But the most important feature is the sharp change from that LOW in Maine down to Florida. Upper-air winds flow along those lines, so a flow from the north from Canada to Ohio to Georgia quickly changes to a flow from the southwest just off the Florida coast. This is known in meteorology as a “sharp trough," and we rarely see anything so extreme. This pattern not only brought severe cold all the way to Miami, but also allowed precipitation to fall along a narrow band in Florida. A typically strong cold blast coming into Florida usually brings dry weather. Only an extreme pattern could lead to the snow.
This may happen again one day in the future. But it hadn’t happened in about 100 years before the event, and hasn’t happened in the 40 years after it.
They're red, white and blue and causing a ruckus among customers of a small bakery in Prospect Park, Pa.
The store's cap-shaped cakes emblazoned with just four words - Make America Great Again - have arrived in time for President-Elect Donald Trump's inauguration, but not everyone who walks into Traub's Bakery is happy to see these particular sweets.
"I got a private message from someone saying that they will never shop here again," said Deneen Ciancaglini, senior cake decorator.
More than 1,000 people have commented on Facebook since the bakery unveiled its latest design Tuesday. The posts range from enthusiasm to vitriol.
It's not uncommon for the shop to commemorate special occassions, such as Christmas, the Super Bowl and even Pope Francis' visit, but this one design is drawing more attention that usual.
"We haven't even been able to keep up with it," Ciancaglini said. "We just don't respond."
Despite the controversial design, Traub's has already sold more than 100 cakes and baked 200 more in anticipation, according to Ciancaglini.
The area, located in Delaware County, was evenly split during the election, with 1,518 people voting for Hillary Clinton and 1,520 people voting for Trump, according to official election results. In November, Traub's Bakery made cookies for both mainstream candidates and even included a third option that read "Not Voting for Trump or Clinton."
"Some people say we're not making a political statement and we're not," Ciancaglini said. "We're selling a product like we do 365 days a year."
A cab driver continues to fight for his life after he was shot 13 times over the weekend. Now his family is speaking out.
Police responded to a radio call reporting a person with a gun on the 800 block of Brooklyn Street in West Philadelphia Sunday around 2:20 a.m. When they arrived they found Sambou Sylla, 56, unresponsive on the sidewalk next to his taxi cab which was still running. Police say he had been shot at least 13 times.
Sylla was taken to the Penn-Presbyterian Medical Center where he is currently listed in critical condition.
“He lost his left eye,” Sylla’s brother Lassana Sylla told NBC10. “He got shot in the arm three times and hands, leg.”
Officials with the Philadelphia Taxicab Company told NBC10 Sylla was shot a few minutes after he called dispatch to cancel a job. His cab was also found a block away from the customer’s pickup location.
“While he was driving this customer got hostile,” said Khalid Alvi of the Philadelphia Taxi Association. “So he called his base and said, ‘The customer is getting aggravated and I’m going to let him out from my cab.’”
Lassana Sylla told NBC10 his brother is married and the father of seven children. He's originally from Mali and has been working as a cab driver for more than 25 years.
"Seven kids and a wife," Lassana Sylla said. "Only thing he do, work, home, work, home. He don't bother nobody. Good man."
Police continue to search for the gunman. The Philadelphia Taxi Association is offering $5,000 to anyone with information that leads to an arrest.
“Whoever did this just come forward,” Lassana Sylla said. “Be a man about it and come forward.”
Robbers stole thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from a Manayunk consignment shop after one of the suspects, who was armed, tied up an employee and customer who were inside.
Police say a man armed with a silver handgun entered Remix on Main on the 4300 block of Main Street around 5:40 p.m. Wednesday and announced a robbery. A 32-year-old female employee and a 65-year-old male customer were inside the store at the time. The suspect tied up both of the victims with zip ties and forced them inside the store’s dressing room.
The armed man then turned off the lights in the store and two more suspects entered, police said. The robbers then stole fur coats, jackets, pocketbooks and boots as well as $200 from the register and the female employee’s purse. In all, the suspects made off with $10,000 in merchandise. They fled the scene in a silver car that was last seen traveling north on Main Street.
Neither the clerk nor customer were injured during the incident. Police also say the entire robbery was captured on store surveillance video though the quality is low. Investigators are also looking at exterior surveillance from both Remix and other businesses in the surrounding area.
Police say the robbery was unusual because it happened in a crowded shopping area during rush hour. Several stores, restaurants and bars are located near where the robbery took place.
Police did not release a detailed description of the suspects but say they were in their late 20s to early 30s. They were also wearing gloves and the armed suspect had on dark glasses and dark clothing, according to investigators.
If you have any information on the robbery, please call Philadelphia Police.
Here are the 10 things you need to know to start your day from your friends at NBC10.
TODAY'S TOP STORY
Robbers Tie Up Victims, Take $10K from Manayunk Store: Robbers stole thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from a Manayunk consignment shop after one of the suspects, who was armed, tied up an employee and customer who were inside. Police say a man armed with a silver handgun entered Remix on Main on the 4300 block of Main Street around 5:40 p.m. Wednesday and announced a robbery. A 32-year-old female employee and a 65-year-old male customer were inside the store at the time. The suspect tied up both of the victims with zip ties and forced them inside the store’s dressing room. The armed man then turned off the lights in the store and two more suspects entered, police said. The robbers then stole fur coats, jackets, pocketbooks and boots as well as $200 from the register and the female employee’s purse. In all, the suspects made off with $10,000 in merchandise. They fled the scene in a silver car that was last seen traveling north on Main Street. Neither the clerk nor customer were injured during the incident.
YOUR FIRST ALERT FORECAST
Thursday is expected to be partly sunny with temperatures in the 50s. Friday could also see 50 degree temperatures but rain is expected. Saturday is expected to see temperatures in the 50s. Sunday could see some rain. Heavy downpours and wind are possible for Monday. High Temp: 54 Degrees. Get your full NBC10 First Alert forecast here.
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WHAT YOU MISSED YESTERDAY
Cab Driver Critical After Being Shot 13 Times: A cab driver continues to fight for his life after he was shot 13 times over the weekend. Now his family is speaking out. Police responded to a radio call reporting a person with a gun on the 800 block of Brooklyn Street in West Philadelphia Sunday around 2:20 a.m. When they arrived they found Sambou Sylla, 56, unresponsive on the sidewalk next to his taxi cab which was still running. Police say he had been shot at least 13 times. Sylla was taken to the Penn-Presbyterian Medical Center where he is currently listed in critical condition.
AROUND THE WORLD
30 Missing In Central Italy Avalanche That Buries Hotel: An avalanche buried a mountain hotel in an earthquake-hit region of central Italy, leaving at least 30 people missing, authorities said Thursday. The civil protection agency said that they were working to get rescue vehicles to the Hotel Rigopiano through roads covered in snow, joining initial rescue efforts overnight by alpine rescue teams. The ANSA news agency quoted a rescuer as saying that there were fatalities, but details weren't immediately available. Italian media said that the avalanche covered the three-story hotel in the central region of Abruzzo on Wednesday. The hotel is about 45 kilometers (30 miles) from the coastal city of Pescara. Earthquakes hit the region on Wednesday, including one with a 5.7 magnitude, but it wasn't immediately clear if the temblors triggered the avalanche.
Trump Cakes Stir Controversy in Delco: They're red, white and blue and causing a ruckus among customers of a small bakery in Prospect Park, Pa. The store's cap-shaped cakes emblazoned with just four words - Make America Great Again - have arrived in time for President-Elect Donald Trump's inauguration, but not everyone who walks into Traub's Bakery is happy to see these particular sweets. "I got a private message from someone saying that they will never shop here again," said Deneen Ciancaglini, senior cake decorator. More than 1,000 people have commented on Facebook since the bakery unveiled its latest design Tuesday. The posts range from enthusiasm to vitriol. Despite the controversial design, Traub's has already sold more than 100 cakes and baked 200 more in anticipation, according to Ciancaglini. The area, located in Delaware County, was evenly split during the election, with 1,518 people voting for Hillary Clinton and 1,520 people voting for Trump, according to official election results. In November, Traub's Bakery made cookies for both mainstream candidates and even included a third option that read "Not Voting for Trump or Clinton."
SPORTS SPOT
Sixers Beat Raptors: The Sixers won 94 to 89 against the Toronto Raptors. Get your full sports news at CSNPhilly.
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
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See more Top News Photos here.
THROUGH IGER'S EYES
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@spotluck captured this cool photo of delicious looking pasta.
Have an awesome Instagram photo you'd like to share? Tag it with #NBC10Buzz.
TODAY'S VIRAL VIDEO
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Howie Mandel tells a story about Madonna on Ellen. Watch more here.
91-Year-Old NJ Man to Attend His 18th Presidential Inauguration: B. Harold Smick Jr. remembers Jan. 20, 1941, as if it was yesterday. It was the day Franklin D. Roosevelt became the only U.S. president to be sworn in to a third term. It was the first of many presidential inaugurations Smick attended. “It really made you feel like you were proud of the country,” Smick said. The Salem, New Jersey, native was 15 when he began a tradition he will continue Friday at the age of 91. Since 1941, Smick has witnessed every presidential inauguration. The inauguration of Donald Trump will be his 18th. Smick recalled some of the more memorable inauguration moments he’s experienced. He remembered traveling on a crowded bus with his father from South Jersey to Washington. Read more.
That's what you need to know. We've got more stories worthy of your time in the Breakfast Buzz section. Click here to check them out.
Despite ISIS being an ongoing topic of discussion among U.S. Homeland Security officials, experts say homegrown extremists pose the greatest threat to New Jersey, according to a new study.
The annual study, which highlights trends in terror activities and techniques to combat extremism, was released by the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) Wednesday morning.
Recent acts of domestic terrorism like the September 2016 bombings in Chelsea and Seaside Heights have elevated threats of homegrown extremism from moderate to high, the report found.
"The series of bombings in New York City and Elizabeth were a stark reminder of the very real threat we face from individuals who want to disrupt our way of life," NJOSHP Director Christopher Rodriguez said in a statement. "No longer was terrorism over there, it had arrived here in our backyard."
Domestic terrorists engaged in 22 attacks and were responsible for an additional 17 plots and threats of violence last year, a 29 percent increase from 2015, the study found.
Nearly 60 percent of all homegrown terror attacks in the U.S. were attributed to race-based separatist groups whose primary targets were law enforcement officials and minority groups. Attacks against law enforcement and minority groups increased twofold from 2015 to 2016, the study found.
The study noted that nearly 90 percent of all extremist-perpetrated law enforcement fatalities occurred following the police-involved shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.
One of seven documented attacks carried out by white supremacists last year occurred in Harlem, where hate crime suspect Oliver Stewart-Vukicevic attacked detectives with a knife after they came to investigate his apartment on suspicions involving anti-Semitic letters left throughout his building.
Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has also become a critical threat, the study says. AQAP recently cited the bombings in New Jersey as "a model for future attacks in the United States" and credited Ahmad Rahimi as a "hero of the Lone Jihad."
A group claiming al-Qaida affiliation threatened an NJOHSP official on Facebook last April, a month after a Bangladeshi pro-al-Qaida group urged militants to attack 10 U.S. universities, including Princeton.
Rodriguez emphasized establishing community relationships and increased civilian vigilance as the major methods for combating domestic terrorism. NJOSHP's Hometown Security Initiative educates the public on recognizing potential threats and how to spot and report suspicious activity.
The director says the program is designed to "increase community resilience, readiness and overall security."
A man died early Thursday morning following a scuffle with police in North Philadelphia.
Shortly before 5 a.m., two police officers responded to a complaint of a "person screaming" near the corner of 10th and Poplar streets. When they arrived, officers found a man jumping wildly up and down on a red truck while yelling, police told NBC10.
One officer attempted to approach the man, but he walked to the police car and grabbed a female officer by the neck, police said. A struggle ensued as additional units arrived on the scene.
Police struck the man with a baton and stun gun before wrestling him to the ground where they noticed the once screaming man was unresponsive, said investigators. Fearing he had overdosed, police administered the anti-narcotic Naloxene and transported him to a nearby hospital where doctors pronounced him dead around 5:45 a.m.
One officer suffered minor injuries during the incident, said police.
The cause of death remained under investigation Thursday, but hospital staff indicated the Taser prongs did not puncture the man's skin, police said. Homicide and internal affairs would investigate the incident further.
The Boss sent them out with a bang.
Bruce Springsteen staged a sort of secret acoustic concert at the White House in January to reward President Barack Obama's staff for their hard work over the past eight years, Backstreets revealed Wednesday.
Backstreets.com, the online home of Backstreets Magazine, has been covering the music of Bruce Springsteen and Jersey Shore artists for more than 30 years.
The 15 song setlist (see below) ran the gamut of Springsteen's hits over the years.
"Bruce opened with a very brief note of thanks to the President and the staff who were being honored before launching into "Working on the Highway," Backstreets reported. "That opener led into an incredible "Growin' Up" for a lively start, but not much of the set was so upbeat, with haunting readings of songs like "My Hometown," "My Father's House," and "Devils & Dust." The mood in the room the whole night — both reception and concert — was not exactly somber, but it wasn't festive, either. It was elegiac, I'd say. There was a clear sense of something ending."
Setlist:
Working on the Highway
Growin' Up
My Hometown
My Father's House
The Wish
Thunder Road
The Promised Land
Born in the U.S.A.
Devils & Dust
Tougher Than the Rest (with Patti Scialfa)
If I Should Fall Behind (with Patti Scialfa)
The Ghost of Tom Joad
Long Walk Home
Dancing in the Dark
Land of Hope and Dreams
A University of New Haven freshman and softball player has been missing for two days and school police, as well as West Haven police, are searching for her.
Allie McGrory, 18, of Medford, New Jersey, was last seen on Tuesday at her dorm, school officials said.
The last possible sighting of her might have been in the New Haven area. A resident assistant contacted school authorities Wednesday with concerns that McGrory had been missing for nearly 24 hours and had not gone to classes or softball practice, according to school officials and West Haven police.
Assistant University of New Haven Chief of Police Don Parker said university police determined that McGrory was not on campus and there "were some issues she was having, typical of most college freshman and we became concerned about her well-being."
University of New Haven police contacted West Haven Police around 6:30 a.m. on Thursday for help with the missing person case.
"We don't have any information if there's any foul play or criminal involvement as of yet," Sgt. David Tammaro, of West Haven Police, said, and added that they do not suspect any foul play.
During a news conference, police said McGrory's father brought her back to school on Tuesday night after break and she might have left campus that night to go to a movie, but they are not sure.
McGrory never showed up for classes or softball practice on Wednesday and police said they have a message McGrory sent to her roommate indicating that she was feeling "a little distraught."
Police did not provide any additional information about the message, citing privacy concerns.
Police said she had not been in touch with her family as of the time the news conference started at 12:30 p.m. Thursday.
McGrory, a marine biology student, is approximately 5-foot-2 and weighs around 130 pounds.
Anyone with information should call university police at 203-932-7014.
A Pennsylvania high school will march down Pennsylvania Avenue during Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration.
The Franklin Regional High School Panther Marching Band will make the trip from Murraysville – a suburb of Pittsburgh – to the Nation’s Capital for the parade performance Friday.
"We're very excited, a little bit of nerves," Ashley Li, a junior in the band told NBC-affiliate WPXI.
Friday marks the first time the band will perform on Inauguration Day as they march in the Third Division.
"To walk down Pennsylvania Avenue and be a part of that celebration, that's what America is all about," said band instructor Kevin Pollack. "No matter what your political leanings are, you're celebrating a change in power and a new president and that's what we do in this country."
The band's Inauguration Day playlist pays homage to the Keystone State including costumed characters like Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross, reported WPXI.
Sara Packer is no longer on suicide watch as she sits in Bucks County Jail awaiting a preliminary hearing in the alleged rape and murder of her adopted daughter, Grace, her court-appointed attorney said Thursday.
Packer, who turned 42 on Sunday, remained in restrictive housing at the jail outside Doylestown, her attorney Keith J. Williams said.
"As far as I understand, in restrictive housing, she has virtually no access to visitors," Williams said. "I'm not aware of any."
Packer and her boyfriend, Jacob Sullivan, who is also being held without bail at the county jail, are next scheduled to appear in court Feb. 24. They were previously scheduled for a preliminary hearing Friday, Jan. 20, but that appearance was pushed back because of scheduling conflicts and security reasons, Williams said.
The hearing next month will be held at the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown. Williams said he expects that the Bucks County District Attorney's office will file capital murder charges, which would add the death penalty to the possible outcomes at trial if the couple were to be convicted.
The couple allegedly beat, raped and killed Grace Packer, 14, in their rented home in Quakertown and left her in the attic for months before eventually dumping the body in a wooded area of Luzerne County, according to authorities.
They were arrested two weeks ago and charged with criminal homicide, conspiracy-forcible rape, kidnapping and numerous other charges.
The case spreads across six counties in eastern Pennsylvania, as well as the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, which is now conducting an investigation involving several county Children, Youth and Family social service agencies. The case is complicated by Sara Packer's long history as both a social service case worker, the foster parent of 30 foster children and her adoption of Grace and the girl's younger brother in Berks County in 2014.
Two of the counties involved in the ongoing investigations of Sara Packer and her history with the foster and adoption systems released statements Thursday, promising thorough local reviews and cooperation with the state DHS investigation.
Northampton County Executive John A. Brown said in a statement that Sara Packer did serve as a foster parent for a child in the county from 2000 to 2001. He also confirmed details of Sara Packer's work history that NBC10 has previously reported after records were released through right-to-know requests.
Brown also alluded to the timing of Packer's firing from her job as a county caseworker in April 2010.
"At or near that time, a criminal investigation was taking place in Lehigh County," Brown said. That criminal investigation was into charges that Sara Packer's ex-husband, David Packer, sexually abused an underage foster child and Grace Packer, who was 9 at the time. He was later convicted.
Lehigh County Executive Tom Muller said in a statement that "two minors were placed with Sara Packer by Lehigh County - one in 2003 for 12 months and one in 2006 for four months."
"Both moved on successfully," Muller said.
Packer's attorney, Williams, said he has met twice with the suspect since her arrested. At his latest meeting Tuesday, he said Packer was very upset.
"She's obviously distraught, and it's a horrible situation for all concerned," Williams said.
