Police are searching for a man accused of stealing from cars parked outside day cares as parents picked up their children.

The first theft occurred on Nov. 27 around 4:15 p.m. outside the Goddard School on W. Route 38 in Moorestown, New Jersey. Police say the unidentified suspect entered the school parking lot in a dark-colored Nissan SUV. He then entered the unlocked vehicle of a victim and stole a purse. After this incident, a dark-colored Nissan SUV was also spotted on surveillance video at the Goddard School in Delran, New Jersey where the suspect committed a similar vehicle burglary.

On Monday around 7:30 a.m., a suspect in a silver vehicle, possibly a Chevrolet Cruze or Malibu, entered the Goddard School in Moorestown, pulled alongside the victim’s vehicle, smashed a window and then stole a tote. Police also say the silver vehicle was spotted at the Goddard School in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey prior to Monday when the suspect committed a similar crime.

Moorestown Police released a surveillance photo of the suspect. If you have any information on his whereabouts or identity, please call Mount Laurel Police or Moorestown Police.

After much debate among business owners, city council and community members, a bill that would crack down on “stop-n-go” shops in Philadelphia was amended Monday amid concerns over a clause that would remove physical barriers, such as glass windows, between customers and employees.

On Nov. 2, Philly Councilwoman Cindy Bass (8th District) introduced a bill that would help get rid of “stop-n-go” shops in the city by making businesses meet certain requirements in order to obtain a food establishment license.

“The stop-n-go business model, which allows beer and liquor to be sold to adults alongside candy and soda for children, with little to no food sales, can no longer exist in Philadelphia," Councilwoman Bass said.

The bill would require large establishments to have tables and seating for at least 30 patrons, allow food to be consumed on the premises and to have publicly accessible bathrooms.

“Undefined language in The Philadelphia Code has in the past allowed unscrupulous business owners to open sham businesses under the guise that they would be restaurant establishments serving food and providing seating for guests,” Councilwoman Bass said.

“In reality, these businesses rarely have food offerings, can rarely fit the 30 seats required to obtain a liquor license, and yet continue to sell beer and liquor-by-the-shot for adults alongside candy and soda for children."

The proposal came a day after Governor Tom Wolf signed legislation meant to crack down on the “stop-n-go” shops which he described as “nuisance bars that can disrupt communities.”

Opponents of the "stop-n-go" shops accuse the businesses of causing problems in low-income neighborhoods, including public drunkenness, litter, public urination and disorderly conduct.

While the proposed bill gained many supporters, one section of it which called for large establishments to remove physical barriers between employees serving food and customers by May 1, 2018, caused controversy. Bass claimed removing the barriers was about respect for the customers.

“This is not about plexiglass,” she said. “This is about what community members want, what community members demand and what community members deserve. We want sit-down restaurants in our neighborhoods that value our business and serve food with dignity and respect.”

Steven Tiang, who owns two stores on Philadelphia’s “Stop-N-Go” list, disagrees however.

“That’s a weak argument because if our customers feel they lose dignity, then they would stop coming to the store,” he said.

Tiang and other business owners argued that the removal of the barriers would put them at risk.

“These people have to understand we spend a lot of time and money in this establishment,” Tiang said.

Tiang told NBC10 he added a safety barrier, which stretches to the ceiling at both of his stores, after one of his businesses was robbed.

“We had somebody jump from the counter all the way over,” he said. “I was so glad that he didn’t have a weapon on him because my wife was there.”

Philadelphia councilman David Oh also spoke out against removing the glass barriers.

“This not only endangers employees and customers, but encourages small businesses to arm themselves against would-be robbers,” Councilman Oh said in a released statement.

The bill was discussed during a hearing Monday at City Hall that both supporters and detractors attended. Ultimately, City Council’s Committee on Public Health and Human Services, which is chaired by Councilwoman Bass, approved an amendment to the bill. Under the amendment, the Department of Licenses and Inspections will have until January 1, 2021, to work to determine and announce regulations on the use or removal of the physical barriers.

Councilman Oh spoke out against the amendment however, which he argued merely changed the language but not the outcome of the original bill.

“It says that the Department of Licenses and Inspections will determine no later than January 1, 2021 whether protective barriers like safety glass should exist in any large restaurant establishment and enforce any regulations stemming from that decision,” Councilman Oh wrote.

“In case there was any doubt about the City’s position, today City officials testified in support of removing these protective barriers. In other words, the City can and almost certainly will require the removal of safety glass as soon as the ordinance goes into effect.”

The amended bill was passed out of committee with a favorable recommendation Monday. The bill will be heard on first reading at Thursday’s City Council meeting.

Here are the top news stories you need to know to start your day from your friends at NBC10.

TODAY'S TOP STORY 

Thief Steals Walker from Girl with Cerebral Palsy: An outraged mother and a young girl who suffers from cerebral palsy are hoping police can find the person who stole her walker. "One of the things that I love doing is walking so I am very, very upset," said Kirsten Edwards. Edwards, 10, of Wilmington, Delaware, recently spent months in the hospital after having her hamstrings lengthened and a bone removed from her foot. Her walker was the only way she was able to get around. On Nov. 30, Edwards' mother Brittany Murray placed her inside a car outside their home and drove away. After driving for 20 minutes, Murphy realized she had left her daughter's walker in the front yard. She then called her husband who was still at their home. When her husband looked outside the walker was gone. "It's not like it was sitting on the edge of the street corner, it was sitting on our property close by our front door," Murray said. "So you felt comfortable enough to come up to somebody's property and take it.” With the walker gone, Edwards was forced to use a wheelchair. Murray told NBC10 the family will need to come up with $1500 to get a new walker. For now, they're using another walker loaned to them by their neighbor Wade Stabley. Stabley also said his home surveillance video captured a man who took the walker and placed it into a vehicle, described as a silver and white  Chevrolet truck, before driving away. Investigators at this point are not releasing that video however.

• MORE ON THE THEFT
  

WHAT YOU MISSED YESTERDAY

Woman Accused of Stabbing Man Inside Home: Police called to a South Philly home found the front door unlocked and the 65-year-old homeowner stabbed to death on the 2nd floor. Someone called officers to the home on the 1200 block of Johnson Street shortly after 1 a.m. Monday, saying that a person in the home needed to go to the hospital. When police arrived, they found the front door unlocked, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. The officers then found the man bleeding from his stomach on the second floor of his home. Medics pronounced him dead on the scene. There was no sign of damage and the home didn’t appear to be ransacked or burglarized, investigators said. Police charged 23-year-old Savannah Pharo with homicide. She remained jailed without bail Tuesday. Court records don't list an attorney who could comment on her behalf.

• MORE ON THE STABBING
  

YOUR FIRST ALERT FORECAST  

Rain is expected to move in Tuesday afternoon along with warmer temperatures nearing 60 degrees. But the warmer temps are not expected to stick around. Wednesday morning could also see some rain and temperatures in the 50s. The sun is expected to return on Thursday and bring colder temperatures in the 40s. Friday and Saturday could see some snow flurries. Get your full NBC10 First Alert forecast here.

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Pa. Governor Seeks Anonymous Reporting System for Sexual Misconduct: Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf's office is developing a way to handle anonymous reports of inappropriate sexual behavior in the state Capitol. Wolf said in a statement Monday that it's part of making the Capitol safe. His office says it's determining which agency will handle such reports, among other aspects of the system. No public reports of criminal sexual harassments or assaults have emerged from Pennsylvania's Capitol in recent months. But the Democratic governor says he's heard disturbing stories of threatening and abusive behavior toward women in the Capitol. A Senate bill would bar non-disclosure agreements in Pennsylvania that attempt to stop people from reporting claims of sexual misconduct.

• MORE ON THE REPORTING SYSTEM
  

AROUND THE WORLD

Supreme Court Allows Full Enforcement of Trump Travel Ban: It's not a final ruling, but the Supreme Court is letting the Trump administration fully enforce a ban on travel to the United States by residents of six mostly Muslim countries. Challenges to the policy are winding through the federal courts, and the justices themselves ultimately are expected to rule on whether the ban is legal. It applies to travelers from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. The justices offered no explanation for their action Monday. The Trump administration had said that blocking the full ban was causing "irreparable harm" because the policy is based on legitimate national security and foreign policy concerns. The order indicates that the high court might eventually approve the latest version of the ban, announced by President Donald Trump in September. Lower courts have continued to find problems with it.

• MORE ON THE BAN
  

That's what you need to know to Catch Up Quickly, but we've got more stories worthy of your time. Click here to check them out. 

The U.S. Supreme Court is allowing President Donald Trump's travel ban to be enforced. The order could impact a Syrian man planning to visit the Philadelphia area. NBC10's Denise Nakano has the details on how the ACLU plans to challenge the ban.

"It's a Wonderful Life" tells a story of overcoming great odds, thanks to the generosity of others. Students from Cherry Hill High School East are bringing the story to life and in the process trying to raise $8,000 for hurricane victims. NBC10's Pamela Osborne has more detail about the play.

The phone lines are open for the 95.7 Ben FM Adopt-a-Family Radiothon that helps local families this holiday season. You can call 866-957-0957 or stop by the Rothman Institute Cabin at Dilworth Park to donate. NBC10's Pamela Osborne has more on how you can get involved.

One of the two men accused of stealing and scrapping the walker of a young Delaware girl with cerebral palsy is apologizing for his actions but also insisting it was an honest mistake.

"I'm very sorry for the way it looks," Donald Cale told NBC10. "But no, it's not the way it was intended to be at all."

The incident occurred outside a home on Rodney Drive in Wilmington, Delaware back on Nov. 30. Brittany Murray told police she placed her 10-year-old daughter Kirsten Edwards inside her car outside their home and then drove away. After driving for 20 minutes, Murray realized she had left her daughter's walker in the front yard. She then called her husband who was still at their home. When her husband looked outside the walker was gone.

Late Monday night, Cale, 49, and Leland Watson, 51, were both arrested after police say they were caught on surveillance video taking Edwards' walker outside the home. The men placed it in Watson's Chevrolet 1500 truck. They then crushed and scrapped the critically needed medical device, according to police.

Both suspects were arraigned on felony theft and conspiracy and released on bail, police said. Watson also faces a possession of heroin charge.

Edwards recently spent months in the hospital after having her hamstrings lengthened and a bone removed from her foot. Her walker was the only way she was able to get around on her feet.

"One of the things that I love doing is walking so I am very, very upset," the girl said Monday.

With the walker gone, Edwards was forced to use a wheelchair.

"Someone might look at her and say she's in a wheelchair, so she's able to get around but no, the surgery that she just had in July, she technically has to have that walker so that she can stretch her legs out so that it doesn't reverse the process of the surgery she had," Murray said.

Murray told NBC10 the family needed to come up with $1,500 to get a new walker. For now, they're using another walker loaned to them by their neighbor Wade Stabley, who also captured the two suspects on his home surveillance video.

"It made me upset that someone would have the audacity to take and steal a child's walker that she needs to be able to get around," Stabley said.

Cale and Watson returned to the home and knocked on the door Monday night to apologize, Murray said. Cale also spoke with NBC10's Tim Furlong Tuesday and insisted it was an honest mistake.

"If we knew that it was usable, we would not have touched it or nothing like that, period," he said. "We did not mean to bother you people or nothing like that. We are sorry. We're sorry."

While Murray acknowledges that people make mistakes she also says she doesn't believe Cale's story, telling NBC10 the walker wasn't at the curb like most trash but instead was halfway up the driveway.

"It's not like it was sitting on the edge of the street corner, it was sitting on our property close by our front door," Murray said. "So you felt comfortable enough to come up to somebody's property and take it."

Murray also said the men never knocked on her door to ask if they could take it. 

"I'm not buying it," Murray said. "You're not going to sit and tell me the fact that you can feel as though it was scrap when it's a shiny blue little thing."

New Castle County police and the family say since the theft, they've received offers from around the region from people who want to help get Kirsten a new walker.

Lower Southampton Township Police are asking for the public's help to identify a man accused of groping a 13-year-old girl at an ACME Market.

The incident took place Sunday at 4:57 p.m. at the ACME Market located on East Street Road in Feasterville, police said.

The man grabbed the girl's buttocks and then ran out of the store towards Street road, according to investigators.

If you are able to identify the man call the Lower Southampton Township police at (215) 357-1234 or submit a tip by clicking here.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike reopened after a multi-vehicle crash involving a tractor-trailer hauling steel coils Tuesday afternoon.

The wreck left the big rig overturned at milepost 351.3, near the Bensalem Interchange around 12:30 p.m., closing the westbound lanes.

No injuries were reported.

The scene took hours to clean-up as drivers were forced off the roadway at Bensalem and detoured via U.S. Route 1, Route 132 and Route 611 to the Willow Grove Interchange, Exit 343. Shortly before 4 p.m., officials announced the scene had cleared and the westbound lanes reopened.

Sea Girt, New Jersey's "Most Wanted" list is down one criminal after a squirrel has been "charged" for vandalizing a local Holiday Display.

The pesky squirrel went nuts when the display was set up in the town's plaza. Some think it was drawing attention to the squirrel's acorn hiding place.

The squirrel, which locals have deemed a Grinch, chewed strands of lights and even removed some of the bulbs.

The case was a tough nut to crack, but police were eventually able to bust the savvy perpetrator after discovering some proof of his crime.

The department had a little fun with the case by posting it to their official facebook page.

Chewed light strands and a lone bulb was found dismantled near the display.

The squirrel was released on bail, but not before being charged with criminal mischief by the Sea Girt Police Department.

Jillian Massey, a 5-year-old from the Lehigh Valley, died Monday night, one year after being diagnosed with brain cancer. She was in the middle of the second year of her wildly successful "Sassy Massey Toy Drive."

Don Tollefson felt “tremendous” as he sat down to speak with NBC10’s Jim Rosenfield in an exclusive interview in November. It was a far cry from how he felt more than a year ago, when the former Philadelphia sportscaster’s house of cards came tumbling down.

In March of 2015, Tollefson was found guilty of stealing more than $340,000 from sports fans through fundraisers for his charity “Winning Ways.” Prosecutors said he sold sports-themed excursions and experiences to more than 200 people and never delivered. He was sentenced to two to four years in prison on felony money laundering, fraud and theft charges.

Now out on probation after spending 14 months behind bars, Tollefson is explaining his actions as well as the changes he's making in his life.

“I was a one-person non-profit and I’m a terrible businessperson,” said Tollefson. “I’m not saying my addiction caused this. I’m responsible for everything I did as a human being but I made some terrible financial decisions.”

Tollefson claims he was bad with money and also an alcoholic since the age of 16.

“I don’t think there was a day that I didn’t drink,” he said. “That’s how bad my disease was.”

In addition to his alcoholism, Tollefson also said he was dealing with a pain killer addiction that stemmed from a shoulder injury he suffered during a car accident in 2008.

“But when I got in the hole, with 20/20 hindsight, I should’ve shut the charity down,” Tollefson said.

Since being released from prison, Tollefson says he’s been sober and deeply religious. He attends James United Methodist Church in Germantown where he’s gotten support from the congregation. He also said he’s focused on counseling families who are struggling with getting help for loved ones dealing with addiction.

Yet despite the changes Tollefson says he’s made, he also knows it’s of little consolation to his victims. Tollefson insists that he’ll give them back their money. He says he wants to open drug and alcohol abuse treatment centers which he claims would help speed up paying off the $165,000 in restitution he was ordered to pay them back as part of his sentencing.

He also knows many won’t forgive him for arguably his most egregious crime, ripping off a charity for the family of slain Plymouth Township police officer Bradley Fox.

“Of all the things I did, that ashamed me the most,” Tollefson said. “Because my intention there was to honor him and I completely screwed that up.”

Tollefson still hasn’t told his 7-year-old daughter about his jail time.

“She thinks I was in the hospital,” he said.

Eventually however, he plans on telling her where he really was.

“I’ll tell her that her daddy did some terrible, terrible, terrible things,” he said. “But since he changed his life, he believes that he’s not a terrible, terrible person. And if you can forgive me, I think you will see in what I will do the rest of my life, that I am a good, loving father. And I’m a good human being.”

Upper Perkiomen School District has voted to stop the construction of a multi-million dollar middle school. NBC10's Deanna Durante has the story.

Friends and family are mourning a Wilmington, Delaware father of three who was shot and killed while investigating a noise coming from his backyard.

Shawn Lockhart, 29, was inside his home on the 800 block of N. Jackson Street shortly after 1:30 a.m. Tuesday when he heard a noise coming from the back of his house. As he approached the backdoor an unidentified gunman opened fire.

"I heard two shots," said Lockhart's neighbor Donation Kijedi. "Two bullets shot out of a gun. And after that, I heard someone running."

Bullets hit the door and struck Lockhart in the torso.

Police arrived at the home and found Lockhart unresponsive. He was later pronounced dead.

Lockhart was a bus driver and father of three young daughters. Neighbors described him as a family man and a person of faith.

"I loved him and I respected him," Kijedi said. "I respected the young family."

No arrests have been made and police continue to investigate. If you have any information on the shooting, please call Detective Mary Quinn or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333. You can also email delawarecrimestoppers.org.

A Supreme Court ruling to enforce President Trump's travel ban has local students worried about their upcoming holiday plans. NBC10's Lauren Mayk has the story.

A driver struck a teen girl and then fled the scene at a busy intersection in the Cobbs Creek section of Philadelphia early Tuesday evening.

The 14-year-old girl was walking in the crosswalk at 63rd and Market streets around 6 p.m. when she was hit by a black Lexus which then continued north on 63rd Street.

The teen was taken to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where she is in stable condition. Police have not released a description of the hit-and-run driver and continue to investigate.

A group of rowers rescued a woman after she was trapped in a vehicle in the Schuylkill River Tuesday.

The 61-year-old woman was inside a vehicle that had crashed into the river near the 2300 block of Martin Luther King Drive at 5:18 p.m. in the Fairmount Park section of Philadelphia. Sean Hall, the President of the Penn Athletic Club Rowing Association, was in a motorized boat while two other rowers were in a different boat in the river when they saw the car in the water.

"I heard some people yelling or screaming or something," Hall said. "Nobody knows what that was or where it came from."

One of the rowers then dove into the water and pulled the woman out of the car.

"He jumped back in when he managed to reach inside and find her arm and pull her out that way," Hall said. "He handed me her arm, I pulled her out and got her onto the boat. And at that point she was not speaking."

Responding paramedics helped get the woman to land. They then performed CPR on her and took her to the hospital where she is now in stable condition.

Police say the car backed into the water though they're still working out the details regarding what led to the incident.

Hall said a rower from his club also saved a driver who was trapped in the river five years ago.

A video clip of a Pennsylvania lawmaker telling a colleague to stop touching him while suggesting that he might be gay has sparked accusations of homophobia as well as calls for his resignation.

The incident occurred during a state government committee meeting in Harrisburg Tuesday. In the video, Democratic Rep. Matt Bradford of Montgomery County briefly places his hand on Republican Rep. Daryl Metcalfe’s forearm while addressing the room. Metcalfe then interrupts Bradford.

“Representative Bradford just, look, I’m a heterosexual, I have a wife and I love my wife,” Metcalfe says. “I don’t like men as you might but stop touching me all the time. Keep your hands to yourself. If you want to touch somebody you have people on your side of the aisle that might like it. I don’t.”

A stunned Bradford and other people inside the room then begin to laugh.

“We’re officially off the rails,” Bradford says. “So let me throw out a simple idea. My intent was just to beg for your permission for about 30 seconds.”

“Then beg, don’t touch,” Metcalfe replies.

Bradford then continues to laugh before deciding to end the meeting.

“I don’t know where we go from here,” Bradford says. “Really.”

During an interview after the incident, Metcalfe claimed Bradford had continually reached out and touched him for months and that he had asked him to stop before, according to the Pittsburgh Gazette. Bradford, who has a wife and kids according to his online biography, told the paper he only reached out to touch him to “restrain him” so that he could finish his thought and that he was “not making a pass” at him.

While Metcalfe’s comments sparked laughter during the meeting, many Pennsylvania Democrats were not amused. They released a statement Tuesday accusing Metcalfe of being racist and homophobic not only for his comments during the meeting but also for past incidents.

“State Representative Daryl Metcalfe has always been a problem in Harrisburg,” Pa. Democrats wrote in a released statement. “He has invited white supremacists to the capitol to testify on behalf of his positions, defended white nationalists, and refused to condemn racist violence. The Pennsylvania Democratic Party has previously called upon Metcalfe to resign over his repeated racism.”

Metcalfe, 55, has represented Pennsylvania’s 12th district since 1999. He sparked controversy in 2015 when he claimed that “a white nationalist…is a lot different than a white supremacist,” according to the Post-Gazette. His detractors have also criticized him for his opposition to same-sex marriage.

“In addition to being racist, Metcalfe is homophobic,” Pennsylvania Democrats wrote. “He has silenced gay lawmakers, held up non-discrimination laws and, just today, went on a random homophobic tirade directed at one of his colleagues.”

Brandon Cwalina, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, also called on Metcalfe to resign.

“Enough is enough. Daryl Metcalfe is a walking, talking embarrassment to Pennsylvanians and doesn’t deserve the honor of serving in public office,” Cwalina said. “For years Metcalfe has taken policy positions based on bigoted misconceptions and fear of minority groups and the LGBT community, but today he has gone beyond the pale. We are again calling on Daryl Metcalfe to resign and to apologize to all Pennsylvanians for his ridiculously bigoted behavior.”

NBC10 reached out to both Metcalfe and Bradford for comment. We have not yet heard back from them.

NBC10 First Alert Weather meteorologist Bill Henley is live at a Wawa in New Castle, Delaware where he talked to three associates who compete in the Special Olympics. Ann Grunert joined Bill to talk about the Special Olympics of Delaware and the upcoming Polar Bear Plunge to support it.