Police in Chester County investigated after a person out for a walk came across skeletal remains within walking distance of a hospital, a YMCA and a trio of schools.

The person was walking near Fisherville Road, not far from the Route 30 Bypass, when they came across the body Friday about 20 to 30 feet off the roadway, Caln Township police said.

Officers and the Chester County Coroner’s Office spent Friday afternoon collecting the remains for further testing, police said.

No word on the identity of the body as of Monday, authorities said.

Officers hoped to determine if the discovery has anything to do with a 52-year-old women who went missing from the Brandywine Hospital in July.

The location where the body was fond is less than a mile from the Brandywine YMCA, Friendship Elementary School, Reeceville Elementary School and North Brandywine Middle School.

Many immigrants have come to Philadelphia with an entrepreneurial spirit.

The city is acknowledging them with its first Immigrant Business Week (IBW). It runs from March 27 to April 1 and celebrates immigrant entrepreneurs and their contributions to society.

"Immigrants play a key role in Philadelphia's population growth, neighborhood revitalization and economic development," said Miriam Enriquez, director of the Office of Immigrant Affairs.

In February, New American Economy (NAE) released data supporting Enriquez's statement and highlighted immigrants' positive impact in communities across the country.

According to NAE, immigrants paid $6 billion in taxes and were responsible for $13.5 billion in spending power in 2014. Immigrants are also 43 percent more likely to be entrepreneurs than the native-born population.

In celebration of the estimated 40,000 immigrant entrepreneurs in Philadelphia, the city will be hosting several networking opportunities and educational workshops throughout the week. As part of it, Philly is promote diverse food trucks across the city.

"Food trucks and food carts have served as a creative pathway for many immigrants to create employment and revenue-generating opportunities," Enriquez said. "Through 'Food Truck Spotlight,' Philly food and culture lovers can conduct a tour of both great cuisines from around the world and the neighborhoods where these five food trucks are located. They will also experience immigrant stories of entrepreneurship up close — and appreciate this hard work using all the senses!"

To see the full list of Immigrant Business Week events, click here.  

A man in a "Show Me Your Kitties" t-shirt turned a request for advice on what to purchase for a baby shower or house warming gift into a lewd act, police in Delaware said.

Dover police charged Marvin Wiggins, 56, with criminal trespass and multiple counts of disorderly conduct, lewdness and harassment after they say he touched himself inappropriately in front of women varying in ages inside several Dover area stores Thursday and Friday.

The Colonia, New Jersey man, wearing the "Kitties" shirt and sweatpants during each incident began the interactions by asking for gift advice before fondling himself through his clothing while asking women to look at his genitalia through his pants, police said.

The masturbating suspect struck at least three locations including Target, T.J. Maxx and Kohl’s stores, police Cpl. Mark Hoffman said. There were multiple victims at some locations.

After Dover police posted a victim-captured photo of the suspect holding a Target shopping cart, tips came in that led investigators to Wiggins, police said.

Investigators continued Monday to receive reports about Wiggins' alleged behavior. Hoffman urged victims of lewdness crimes to immediately report suspicious behavior to police since a lewd act can escalate into something more serious.

In this case, Wiggins never touched any victims, police said.

Wiggins remained jailed Monday on $6,500 bond, Hoffman said.

Dover police urged anyone with more information or who might have been victimized to give them a call at 302-736-7130.

About 40 to 45 refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and other countries who have relocated to eastern Pennsylvania in recent months met Monday at City Hall in Philadelphia at the behest of Councilman David Oh.

The purpose of the gathering was to “let them know they are welcome,” according to the councilman’s spokesman, Matthew Pershe.

Man of the refugees who attended live in northeastern Pennsylvania, where a large community of Syrian Americans live, and Philadelphia, Pershe said.

Oh said in a release prior to the 10 a.m. event that a message he hoped the families would receive is that local government “is here to help and to serve them.”

“This is a welcome party -- a chance to let our refugee community know that they are welcome, they are celebrated, and we are glad to have them in Philadelphia,” Councilman Oh said.

Police say a 19-year-old man stopped a hit-and-run driver after he tried to flee the scene of a crash in Lakewood, New Jersey.

The 19-year-old man was looking for a car on sale shortly before 1 p.m. Friday on East County Line Road when he witnessed Terick Debose, 23, of Toms River, crash his Toyota Camry into a parked car in the parking lot of the nearby Piner Elementary School, according to police. The 19-year-old man told Debose to stop but he allegedly accelerated towards him. The 19-year-old then jumped on top of the hood and held on as Debose continued driving, police said.

“I was just in awe,” said Cindy Paolicelli, a witness. “You never see something like that in real life. I was so afraid he was going to get thrown from the car.”

As the 19-year-old held on, Debose sped up an estimated 40 miles per hour before he finally stopped a quarter of a mile down the road, according to investigators. He was then taken into custody by responding police officers.

“I said, ‘How did you get off the car?’ He said, ‘I just kept pleading for the guy to please stop the car and let me get off,’” Paolicelli said. “I think it’s crazy for a fender bender to just freak out and cause all this havoc.”

The 19-year-old suffered a minor knee injury. Police say Debose had several outstanding warrants for his arrest and a suspended driver’s license. He was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, leaving the scene of an accident and leaving the scene of an accident with an injury with a suspended license.

A viral video of a Montgomery County baby and his luscious locks landed him on the Ellen Show. NBC10’s Erin Coleman spoke to his family about the video views and the hair that keeps on growing.

Temperatures have been on a roller coaster for what seems like months. The most recent ride? A high of 77 degrees at the Philadelphia International Airport Saturday, followed by a high of only 45 degrees Sunday, and forecast temperatures in the low 70s by tomorrow. In addition, it’s been a rainy stretch of days. Let’s break down exactly what’s going on with our weather pattern.

Weekend Rise and Fall

This past Saturday we saw temperatures climb all the way to the upper 70s, with just isolated showers across the area.

Why? A large storm was set up to the west of our region. North of us was a boundary layer (this one a cold front) that was connected to this storm. That layer was dividing the cold air from the warm air trying to surge in from the southwest. Our area was under the warm air “zone”. Meaning, the cold air was kept north, and with southwest winds, our atmosphere was being fed warmth to boost our temperatures well above average (21 degrees above average in Philly, to be exact).

But, all good things must come to an end. And they did, quite quickly. Overnight Saturday into Sunday morning, the winds shifted direction. Take a look at the wind map from one model. It shows the winds coming almost directly from the east (the non-tail end of the barbs points in the direction the winds are going). An east flow forces chilly ocean air atop us. As the winds shifted, this led the way to the cold front slinking southward across our area.

[[417222633, C]]

The result? A high of only 45 degrees in Philadelphia (as in 11 degrees below average and 32 degrees colder than the previous day).

As we sat ahead of the storm center, which was creating severe thunderstorm threats to central and southern portions of the country, we also sat in a rather moist set-up. That means we had plenty of moisture in the sky (thick clouds) all the way down to the surface (something we’ll sometimes refer to as high dewpoint temperatures)   So, we were able to tap into periods of light rain showers and misting. However, not much steady rain was experienced over the weekend.

Monday Return to Warmth

Remember that warm air that was surging over the region from the southwest on Saturday? Well, it made a comeback quickly on Monday.

Winds shifted direction again Monday morning. Take a look at the wind map below for Monday. It shows the barbs constantly flowing in from the southwest. A warm air pump!

[[417222773, C]]

In addition, a warm front stalled over the southern half of the region.
As a result, especially in southern zones across our region, temperatures made a return to the 60s and even 70s. Temperatures were cooler farther north due to the stalling of the warm front. The warmth continues Tuesday. In fact, Tuesday morning temperatures will be quite mild in the 50s, and highs will again be spread from north to south. Southern zones should see 70s, again. Mid 60s are possible for Philadelphia. Lower 60s or upper 50s for northern most spots.

Scattered Thunderstorm Potential

With warm air across the region, some isolated to scattered thunderstorms are possible as yet another system passes just to our south Tuesday afternoon. Isolated showers may cross the Delaware Valley in the morning Tuesday, but with the storm centers’ passage late day, enough energy across the region could bring some spotty thunderstorms to the area. These storms are not expected to be severe. The best chance for thunderstorms will be the warmest locations, south.

Here’s a look at one model projection for the late day thunderstorm potential:

[[417222823, C]]

Notice the small spots of orange and red on the map near us. This indicates the scattered nature of the storms.

Overall, we’ll remain cloudy through Tuesday, but finally see sunshine breakout Wednesday. Temperatures Wednesday will also take one last tumble, although not as grand. Temperatures are forecast in the upper 50s and low 60s.

More rain to come by late week! We’ll get into more detail on that in the days to come.

Stay with the NBC10 First Alert Weather Team for the latest weather updates including alerts, maps and forecasts.

Editor's note: This story contains graphic details.

An alleged child rapist in Bucks County faces new charges after another woman came forward accusing him of sexually assaulting her.

William Thomas, 58, of Morrisville is charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors and other related offenses after the woman told police he sexually assaulted her when she was a child.

The woman told investigators she interacted with Thomas in the mid to late 1990s at his Pleasant Lane home, his Falls Township home, his Pennsbury Woods apartment and a home in Yardley. Police say in addition to sexually abusing her, Thomas also showed her child pornography, watched her as she took showers, gave her marijuana, groped her and professed his love for her.

Thomas is already accused of sexually assaulting at least six other underage girls throughout the years in Bucks County including two sisters who spoke out at the beginning of March.

"I am a victim of William Thomas," one of the women said during a press conference at the Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA) in Jamison, Pennsylvania.

The two sisters, who are now in their 20s, said Thomas sexually abused them when they were children growing up in the Levittown area of Bucks County. They said Thomas was their babysitter at the time of the abuse.

"Children are so young and innocent and nobody deserves something like this," one of the victims said.

The women said they want other victims to get help.

"I was being taken advantage of by a grown, adult child molester," one of the sisters said. "I hope that anyone else that was affected by this man, please step up. You will be heard."

Thomas was first charged on February 5 with child rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, aggravated indecent assault on a child, possession and dissemination of child pornography and other related offenses.

Investigators say the child rape allegations date as far back as 40 years.

Falls Township Police first zeroed in on Thomas last November after receiving a call about sexually explicit writings found on a piece of plywood at the Midway Village mobile home park, said a criminal complaint obtained by NBC10 that contains graphic details of alleged assaults. Thomas had worked as a handyman on a vacant trailer and a new owner found the words describing the sexual assault of two young girls, including names, physical descriptions, parents' names and a date of an alleged assault — Christmas 2014 — police said.

The writer referred to his penis as "one-eyed Willie," police said.

Police compared the writing on the wood to numerous work orders written by Thomas to find that the writing matched, according to police.

Police interviewed the alleged victims but due to the trauma of their assaults, they didn't name Thomas directly by name, officials said. Investigators described many of the victims as "broken people."

Investigators searched Thomas' home at Midway Village and found more than 1,000 prominently displayed photographs and pictures that "depicted naked children, the majority of which were prepubescent" and some that chronicled "molesting," according to the criminal complaint.

Investigators also found writings dating back to the 1970s that documented molestation of children as young as 3 years old, police said.

They also found 500 to 1,000 pairs of prepubescent girls' underwear, some hanging above Thomas' bed, as well as toys and dolls, some with "aftermarket genitals which Thomas created," according to investigators.

"We don't know whether or not he was distributing it," said Weintraub.

The search also uncovered drug paraphernalia and baggies that tested positive for marijuana and methamphetamine.

Police interviewed Thomas and he allegedly admitted to having sexual attraction to children dating back to his adolescence. He admitted to pleasuring himself to the child pornography that he has gathered over the decades, police said.

He also admitted to sexually assaulting a family member and a couple children he babysat and also exposing himself to another child, according to police.

Police looked into Thomas' past and discovered other allegations of sexual assault dating back to the 1970s, when a man said Thomas sexually assaulted him when he was just 8 to 11 years old, police said. Thomas would have been 5 1/2 to 6 years older.

In 2010, police investigated Thomas' former Levittown home after a homeowner looking to flip it found "some disturbing items" including a handmade "child-size sex doll," Polaroids of naked children and graphic handwritten notes about performing sexual acts on young girls, according to the criminal complaint. No charges came from that early police report and some of the discoveries were made after police were alerted.

Back in 2000, Thomas was indicted for child abuse after he admitted to writing a graphic note and giving it to a child in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, police said. He told investigators he was taking drugs and on pills at the time and didn't mean to write the note. No word yet of what came of that allegation.

Authorities said some of Thomas' past residences in Bucks County include a home on Pleasant Line in the Pinewood section of Levittown; Pennsbury Woods apartments on New Falls Road in Levittown; Midway Village mobile home park on Bristol Pike in Morrisville. He also worked as a handyman and subcontractor while owing his own home improvement business called Thomas Construction.

Thomas is currently being held in Bucks County prison on $750,000 bail. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday.

Authorities urged anyone with information about other possible victims to contact Falls Township Sgt. Christopher Clark at 215-302-3315 and/or Bucks County Detective Lt. Robert Gorman at 215-340-8141.

The Philadelphia Police Department budgeted $500,000 to outfit police recruits with bulletproof vests in the current fiscal year -- to be paid for through a federal grant.

Another $162,500 in federal money is slated to go toward the department’s High Intensity Drug Traffic Area (HIDTA) investigations.

Two other grants for police will provide $1,450,000 “to improve the quality of life in all neighborhoods” and $934,000 for the salaries and benefits of 25 police officers.

The money in all four, listed in the city budget, are part of millions that the city of Philadelphia gets annually from the U.S. Department of Justice.

But Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Monday that those dollars are in jeopardy because of Philadelphia’s ongoing refusal to turn over undocumented immigrants to federal authorities. The city, like dozens of others, does not honor what are known as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers. Mayor Jim Kenney and other city officials have argued that the detainers violate the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.

In a surprise press conference Monday at the White House, Sessions renewed a months-long threat by the Trump administration that “sanctuary cities” will either comply with ICE detainers and other immigration laws or lose DOJ grants.

“I’m urging states and local jurisdictions to comply with these federal laws. Moreover, the Department of Justice will require that jurisdictions seeking or applying for Department of Justice grants certify compliance as a condition of receiving those rewards,” Sessions said. “Failure to remedy violations could result in withholding grants, termination of grants, and disbarment or ineligibility for future grants. The Department of Justice will also take all lawful steps to claw back any funds awarded.”

He did not give a deadline for compliance.

The DOJ gave $26 million in grants to Philadelphia in the 2015 fiscal year, which a city spokeswoman said was the most recent year in which a comprehensive total is available.

“The Attorney General’s comments today are a direct attack on public safety,” Kenney spokeswoman Lauren Hitt said. “He is threatening to take away money from the police department for what amounts to nothing more than good police work. Undocumented residents and their family members are much less likely to call law enforcement when they are a witness to or a victim of a crime if they know that the police will turn them in to ICE. And if residents can’t call the police, then it is extremely difficult to get criminals off the street. If we are forced to change Philadelphia’s policy on this, all of our residents will be less safe.”

Sessions argued the exact opposite.

“Such policies cannot continue. They make our nation less safe by putting dangerous criminals back on the street,” he said.

Hitt indicated that Philadelphia is still weighing its options when it comes to detainers.

"Today’s announcement did not present any issues we were not already evaluating, and we have very skilled outside counsel helping us evaluate what the real threats to funding are and what our legal options are," she said.

A worker died from his injuries after a large safety deposit box fell on top of him inside a Wells Fargo Bank in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania.

Jonathan Maust, 35, of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania and two other workers were inside the old Wells Fargo Bank on 2401 Cheltenham Avenue shortly before 1 p.m. Monday. The men were attempting to move a large safety deposit box from the bank to a new location. Suddenly the deposit box tipped over and fell on top of Maust. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Cheltenham Police, OSHA and the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office are all investigating the incident.

Police are searching for a gunman who they say fired shots from a building in Philadelphia leading to a barricade situation early Monday evening.

Police received a 911 call from three workers who stated they heard three gunshots from inside a renovated building on the 100 block of Spring Garden Street at 6:07 p.m. Monday. When police arrived and interviewed the workers, a female employee of one of the businesses on the block told investigators she was getting into her car when she heard gunshots, two of which struck her vehicle. Fortunately she wasn't hurt though the bullets were only inches away from her.

Officers formed a staging area and searched through the building. They later gave the "all clear" around 8 p.m. after not finding anyone. They continue to search for the gunman.

I-95 North was closed at Exit 20 as well as the Columbus Boulevard on ramp due to the barricade while I-676 East approaching I-95 was also closed. They were later reopened.

Police arrested a former Philadelphia doctor accused of hacking in the email, cellphone and social media accounts of several women who he was classmates with in high school.

Peter Grossman, 29, is charged with impersonation and theft of identity, elements of computer theft and invasion of privacy.

Investigators say Grossman, who worked as a physician at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, illegally gained access to the accounts of several of his female classmates from Delran High School in Burlington County, New Jersey where he graduated in 2005. Grossman allegedly made digital copies of more than 2,000 personal photographs.

The investigation began in September of 2016 after one of the women went to the Delran Police Department reporting she suspected her email and cellphone accounts had been illegally accessed. After officials identified Grossman as a suspect, they executed a search warrant at his home in Philadelphia and seized six of his electronic devices that had digital storage capabilities, investigators said. They then found photographs of 25 women, 12 of whom have been identified, according to officials.

Investigators say Grossman also illegally gained access to their iCloud, Snapfish and Facebook accounts. The accounts included passwords that were easily determined by information posted on the victims' public profiles.

“This case presents an excellent warning concerning passwords, and why they must be complex in order to withstand attempts by hackers and anybody else to gain access to private accounts,” Burlington County Prosecutor Robert D. Bernardi said. “Using the name of a child or some other known personal detail will often result in a password that is vulnerable to being hacked.”

Officials are still trying to identify the remaining women in the photographs. If you believe you’re a victim please call the Delran Police Department at 856-461-4498 extension 149.

Grossman is no longer employed with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

Not many people have the chance to celebrate their 100th birthday. Bill Hansen of Haddon Township, New Jersey decided to use the special opportunity to do something he’s wanted to do for about three years now: go back to his old job. 

“I hate being retired,” Hansen said.

Hansen, a retired permit coordinator, was greeted with a standing ovation and a birthday cake when he visited his former job at Hutchinson Plumbing, Heating and Cooling in Cherry Hill, New Jersey Monday. But the celebration was short-lived. Hansen was there to work.

Hansen had asked the company’s CEO Fred Hutchinson if he could return for his birthday. Hutchinson granted his wish and gave Hansen a full day’s workload and even drew up a one-day contract.

“He took off about 15 minutes after we signed that agreement to get to work,” Hutchinson said. 

Hansen went from one job to the next as former co-workers wished him a happy birthday throughout the day.

“Fred has to pay me one dollar for today,” Hansen said.

Hansen retired three years ago at the age of 97 but not before training his replacement, Carl Canfield.

“I can only hope that I can aspire to be half the man that that gentleman is,” Canfield said.

Prior to his 32 years at Hutchinson, Hansen spent nearly 40 years working for other companies, including Exxon.

“I never had a job where I didn’t want to go to work in the morning,” Hansen said. “I was blessed.”

Besides his love of work, Hansen credits his wife and family for his happiness. He also said they’re part of his latest goal.

“To live to see my youngest granddaughter graduate,” Hansen said. “That’ll be in 2024.”

A Bergen County sting netted 1,000 bags of heroin and the arrest of two alleged drug dealers who were purportedly running narcotics out of Paterson. 

The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said authorities arrested Tony Crowe, 24, and Makia Reed, 22, last Thursday after an undercover operation.

They were allegedly carrying the heroin to distribute to what turned out to be an undercover officer. 

They each face one count of possession with the intent to distribute. Information on lawyers for the two was not immediately available. 

The same rat-borne disease that killed a man in the Bronx is killing dogs in New Jersey, and veterinarians are warning pet owners to be on alert.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection dogs can catch from wildlife like squirrels and rats. The disease passes through urine, which pets may lick up when drinking from puddles or other standing water.

River Edge resident Shawn Kucharski often takes his dog Hershey for a morning walk. He said he was taken aback by the number of dogs who have contracted the disease in recent months.

“It is concerning because they go around and sniff everything and touch everything,” Kucharski said.

Veterinarians at Blue Pearl in Paramus say they’ve seen a clear upsurge in cases.

"We’ve probably had five or six cases of leptospirosis over the course of the winter," Dr. Tara Fetzer of Blue Pearl said. "A much higher number than we normally see."

Veterinarians believe the rise in cases is likely due to a warm winter — people have taken their dogs outside more often than they normally would during the cold months.

Still, two dogs have died, and humans can get leptospirosis too. A man in the Bronx recently died after contracting the disease from a rat.

The New Jersey Dept. of Health doesn't track cases of leptospirosis in dogs, but it says there haven't been any human cases in the state in the last five years.

Pet owners should look for signs and symptoms of the disease in their dogs, such as fever lethargy, loss of appetite, increased urination and inability to urinate. It’s also a good idea to be careful at dog parks, where dogs congregate and can pass along illnesses.

To avoid getting leptospirosis, people should practice good hand hygiene and avoid contact with pet urine.

SEPTA has proposed a $723 million budget for 2018.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority released the plan Monday that focuses on implementing the new SEPTA Key technology, adding new electric trains and buses, and improving area infrastructure as the agency looks to advance its "Rebuilding the System" initiative.

Philly.com reports SEPTA also plans to make more Regional Rail stations handicapped accessible in addition to improving their overall look.

Communications projects to bolster the dispatch system are included as well.

State funding accounts for almost half of SEPTA's budget. The rest comes from federal support, capital financing and local sources. The budget will be an almost $180 million increase compared to 2017 if it passes.

Public hearings on the budget are set for April 26. A board vote is scheduled for May 25.

Click here to examine the entire budget proposal.

A father standing up for his teenage son after a gunman robbed the boy's friend wound up shot in the face overnight.

Just after 2 a.m., Philadelphia Police officers heard gunshots coming from the area of 62nd and Market streets in West Philadelphia, Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

"They found a 37-year-old suffering from two gunshot wounds to his face," Small said.

Police rushed the father to Penn Presbyterian Hospital where doctors listed him in critical condition but expected him to survive, Small said.

The father approached the gunman because he thought the man had robbed his 15-year-old son and a 16-year-old friend at gunpoint outside a takeout restaurant about one hour earlier, investigators said. The boy told his dad that the a man asked if the boys had change for a $20 bill. As the 16-year-old looked to make change, the robber pulled out a gun and took $40.

The dad then accompanied his son back to the area where the gunman fired nine shots at the dad.

Police cameras captured the gunman -- a thin man in his 20s who stands around 5-foot, 8-inches -- running away on Market Street.

Besides the shooting, investigators searched for clues in the robbery.