One of the suspects who shot a man and stole nine guns from customers at two different gun ranges in two days is in custody, according to authorities.
Sources tell NBC10 a woman turned herself in to police after seeing surveillance video of the crimes. Investigators have not yet released the suspect's name since she has not been officially charged.
Police have recovered the getaway car used during the robberies, but they are still searching for the male suspect involved in the two holdups -- the first at Yury's Gun Range in Philly's West Poplar neighborhood and the second at the Delaware Valley Sports Center in the city's Bustleton neighborhood.
Officials say the pair of robbers approached their victims as they were leaving the gun ranges and held them up at gunpoint.
The suspects were waiting in a parked car -- a late model dark colored 2-door coupe -- outside Yury's at 544 N. Percy St. around 6:40 p.m. Wednesday, just as a 68-year-old man was leaving the range.
As the man got into his car, the two suspects moved towards him and pointed a handgun at his face, according to reports.
They emptied the victim's pockets and took off with his backpack, which contained two .22 caliber handguns, accordign to authorities.
The next day, the two suspects went to Delaware Valley Sports Center at 101 Geiger Road to try out the same heist.
A 67-year-old man and his friend were exiting the Sports Center around 8:40 p.m. Thursday when the robbers approached them and demanded they hand over their guns and cash, according to officials.
Even though the victims did not resist, one of the suspects fired a shot, striking the 67-year-old man, according to reports.
The 67-year-old man was transported to Frankford Torresdale Hospital. He was still in critical condition Saturday.
Police describe the male suspect -- who is still at large -- as 5-feet 10-inches tall with a thin build and in his twenties.
The car used in the crimes was located on the 200 block of South Hanson Street in West Philly Saturday
One person is in custody after police busted a cockfighting ring in the Kensington section of Philadelphia.
Officials say a tip led them to a home on the 2900 block of E Street where the operation was taking place.
When police arrived on Saturday around 3 a.m., they discovered a large scale cockfight that was in progress, according to investigators. Police say dozens of participants and spectators fled the scene but officers were able to arrest the owner of the property.
Officials with the PSPCA initially told NBC10 that they removed 20 birds from the home. They later sent a press release revealing that they removed 18 live roosters and one dead rooster from the home. The birds were brought to the Erie Avenue shelter for forensic evaluation.
“This is a fairly elaborate setup,’ said George Bengal of the SPCA. “He’s got an area in the back of this location that is pretty well concealed. There’s a lot of training equipment that he has back there. He’s got all the paraphernalia that’s used in bird fighting.”
The homeowner, who has not yet been identified, was arrested. Cruelty charges are pending.
For the second year, in a row, Philadelphia will celebrate music with a free, city-wide festival on Saturday, June 21st, the first day of summer and the longest day of the year. MAKE MUSIC PHILLY is part of National Music Day, a tradition that started in France in the 1980s and has spread across American cities over the past decade. Philadelphia’s only free, "do it yourself" festival, the event features organized concerts and informal performances by professional and amateur musicians of all genres and ages throughout the city. The festival kicks off in LOVE Park with a play-along percussion event with the Philly Drum Project and continues at 50 events throughout the day and into the evening at multiple venues around the city. More than 300 performers are expected, including the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra playing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at the Robin Hood Dell East (Dell Music Center), Ben Arnold, Cookie Rabinowitz, The Doublewides, Pete Donnelly and The Fractals at the Gorgas Park in Roxborough and Sara Abo-Harb playing at the Franklin Institute in the afternoon and again in the evening at the Hard Rock Cafe. The festival crescendo will take place at Penn’s Landing’s Great Plaza with performances by soul dynamo Lee Fields & the Expressions, veteran DIY rocker Ted Leo and a harmonica jam with John Colgan-Davis. For more information and the complete schedule of events, visit MAKE MUSIC PHILLY.
Employees at AGC Chemical Americas Inc. can be excused if they're more interested in watching the players on the bench than the ones on the field during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Materials and technology developed by AGC Chemicals of Exton, Pa., and its parent company, Asahi Glass Co. Ltd. in Tokyo, Japan, were used for the players’ glass-enclosed benches on the sidelines of all 12 venues where the soccer matches will take place. The glass-enclosed players’ benches are nearly 40-feet long and have roof and back panels made with a double layer of a thin, chemically strengthened glass called Dragontrail X that is produced by Asahi.
The benches’ glass panels are held in place by fiber-reinforced plastic frames produced by AGC Matex of Thailand, and coated with AGC Chemical’s Lumiflon, which is a weather-resistant fluoropolymer resin designed to protect the frame from harsh weather. Read more about this story on PBJ.com.
For more breaking business news go to PBJ.com
A Philadelphia developer is venturing into Camden, N.J., for the first time and plans to construct a new $17 million apartment complex.
Armed with $6.2 million in tax credits from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Iron Stone Strategic Capital Partners expects to begin construction in July on a 59-unit apartment project at 400-434 S. Broadway. It will be called Cooper Village Apartments and sit across from the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. The development will have market-rate housing and will seek to attract medical students and others affiliated with the school as renters.
Cooper Village will cover a little more than two blocks along Broadway and occupy a series of derelict sites. Read more about this story on PBJ.com.
For more breaking business news go to PBJ.com
The NJ State Board of Medical Examiners revoked the license of a neurologist after he allegedly had sex with one of his patients.
Investigators say Dr. Jonathan Fellus engaged in a sexual relationship with a woman who had suffered a mild brain injury.
The patient, who was 33-years-old at the time, was injured in a car accident back in February of 2008. Due to the accident, the woman suffered episodes of weakness, collapsing with loss of consciousness, seizures, emotional maladjustments and physical injuries.
The woman’s neuropsychologist referred her to Dr. Fellus, who was the director of brain injury services at a rehab facility in West Orange, New Jersey.
In August of 2008, the two allegedly entered a relationship which included sexual encounters in exam rooms at the rehab center as well as other locations. The relationship continued until March of 2009 when Fellus cut contact with the woman, according to investigators.
During their relationship, officials say the woman continued to suffer collapses and seizures. Fellus determined the patient suffered an apparent mild traumatic brain injury and elements of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to investigators. A psychologist also determined that she suffered neurocognitive dysfunction, post-concussive syndrome, and cognitive disorder.
“The facts clearly show that Dr. Fellus engaged in a relationship with this patient, even though he knew or should have known she was suffering a diagnosed cognitive disorder and was physically debilitated by injuries she suffered in a car accident,” Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman said. “This relationship violated long-standing ethical standards and a specific Board of Medical Examiners rule prohibiting sexual contact between physicians and their patients.”
After the allegations against him surfaced, Fellus was placed on administrative leave and resigned in 2011. According to the Star Ledger, Fellus most recently operated Advanced NeuroCare, a private practice in Flanders, NJ. He was also the chief medical officer for the International Brain Research Foundation.
After a hearing on Wednesday, the NJ State Board of Medical Examiners ordered that Fellus’ medical license be revoked, determining that his alleged actions “constituted gross malpractice, professional misconduct, lack of good moral character, and failure to comply with the Board’s rule prohibiting sexual conduct with a patient.”
“The Board of Medical Examiners’ prohibition of sexual contact with patients is intended to protect those who are vulnerable and who are attempting to heal,” Division of Consumer Affairs Acting Director Steve Lee said. “The Board of Medical Examiners took the right action by revoking the license of this physician for violating this essential requirement.”
Fellus is now required to transfer all of his current patients to new physicians within 30 days and is prohibited from treating new patients. He also must pay a penalty of $10,000 and $34,450 in costs to the State.
While Fellus is allowed to apply for reinstatement, he must wait until three years after the effective date of his revocation. He would then have to appear before a Board committee, submit proof that he’s continued psychotherapy, provide a comprehensive report from a treating psychologist and complete Board-approved courses on personal ethics.
Renting a shore home the summer after his senior year has always been a dream of 18-year-old Domenico Marsico. But that dream turned into a nightmare for the Northeast Philadelphia high school grad and his six friends. When they arrived at the home on East Spicer Avenue in Wildwood, NJ, they discovered that it was infested with roaches.
“We walked in and there were bugs everywhere,” Marsico said. “We’ve all been keeping our clothes in our cars.”
Things soon went from bad to worse after the group called city officials to complain. Even though there were seven people on the lease for the home, code enforcement officers told them that only three people were allowed to live in it. With their summer dreams crushed, the teens were forced to leave.
“This has been our dream since we were in grade school to have fun our senior summer,” Marsico said. “Now all that hard work is just down the drain.”
The teens claim they each paid $2,000 to the building’s owner, Fausto Ricart, for a total of $14,000.
“I worked hard for three years, saving up this money and for him to just come in and take it from us is absolutely ridiculous,” said Shawn Scornaienchi.
Ricart was ultimately issued 12 summonses for violations, including overcrowding and maintaining a nuisance. He’s also accused of illegally leasing units to two other groups of teens at a nearby building that’s under foreclosure and owned by a bank.
Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano says he’ll also push to have Ricart’s mercantile license revoked.
“He knows the law because my inspectors let him know the law,” Troiano said. “I’d rather have an empty building than a building where somebody can be killed through a fire from overcrowding.”
Ricart allegedly told police he no longer had the money to provide refunds. However, the teens say Ricart eventually gave them $6200 and promised an additional $5,000 over the next 10 weeks.
“I’m not happy we couldn’t get the rest of the money,” Scornaienchi said. “But I don’t want to drag this out. I want to enjoy my summer.”
The teens say they’ve been staying at a motel paid for by Ricart over the past few days. They are now searching for a different and legal summer home.
Jared Barag is used to walking outside his Marlton, N.J. home and greeting his neighbors. The 24-year-old Drexel University engineering student has known the husband and wife for 12 years and often sees them walking the dogs or doing yard work.
On June 8 Barag headed outside to wash his car and saw his neighbor mowing the lawn. He waved and assumed it would be just an average Sunday. But things did not go according to plan.
The next time he looked next door, Barag noticed his neighbor lying in the grass next to his house.
“My initial thought was that he maybe just was laying down in the shade,” Barag said. “It was a hot day, it happens.”
But an uneasy feeling led Barag to dismiss his first reaction and check on his neighbor.
“[I] was calling his name,” he said. "All of a sudden I go up to him and his eyes are wide open and bloodshot and he wasn’t breathing.”
Barag immediately called 911. After the call went through dispatch, the 911 operator asked if he knew how to perform CPR.
“I haven’t had it since high school,” he said.
But Barag didn’t hesitate. The 911 operator walked him through the steps on his speakerphone.
“It was nice to have her there,” he said. "She kept me calm.”
Barag was on his third set of chest compressions when another neighbor came around the corner. The pair continued to perform CPR while they waited for the paramedics.
Not long after, emergency personnel arrived on the scene and found the 50-year-old neighbor in cardiac arrest. Approximately ten minutes into their care, they found that he had regained his pulse. The victim was transported to Virtua Hospital Marlton, where he is recovering. The victim’s family has requested privacy at this time.
The significance of Barag’s actions should not be taken lightly. According to the press release from Evesham Fire-Rescue, “Effective bystander CPR provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest can triple a victim’s chance of survival.”
Captain Carl Bittenbender from Evesham Fire-Rescue understands the importance of acting quickly.
“Chest compressions alone, even without rescue breathing, are effective at circulating blood in the body when the heart stops pumping. This action can greatly improve survivability until help arrives,” he said.
Barag had no emergency medical training and hadn’t performed CPR since his high school health class more than five years earlier.
“It was a pretty crazy situation,” Barag said. “I honestly can’t believe I kept my cool. I didn’t think, I just reacted.”
Deputy Chief Steven Addezio applauds Barag’s fast action.
“Jared’s quick thinking and willingness to get involved most likely saved his neighbor’s life,” he said. “Jared is a hero and Evesham Township is very proud of him.”
Hero? Barag wouldn’t go that far.
“I’m just his neighbor and I did my duty,” Barag said. “Any one of our neighbors would do the same thing for anybody in a heartbeat.”
A tentative ceremony recognizing the emergency responders will be held on Tuesday, July 1. An updated press release will be issued upon confirmation of the awards ceremony and responder names.
Two people are hurt after a car veered off the road and slammed into a tree in Montgomery County Saturday.
Police say a vehicle swerved off the street and went into the wooded area bordering the roadway around 6:30 p.m. near Longview and Keen roads in Limerick, Pa.
Two passengers were inside the car when it crashed.
One of the victims was transported to Pottstown Hospital and the other was taken to Paoli Hospital.
Their conditions are unknown at this time.
Stay with NBC10 for more on this developing story.
One of the suspects who held up two different men leaving gun ranges in two days has been charged.
Twenty-one-year-old Samiyyah Poteat faces multiple charges including attempted homicide, robbery and aggravated assault.
Poteat turned herself in to authorities Saturday after seeing herself in surveillance video of the crimes.
Officials say Poteat along with her male accomplice were involved in two holdups at two different gun ranges -- the first at Yury's Gun Range in Philly's West Poplar neighborhood and the second at the Delaware Valley Sports Center in the city's Bustleton neighborhood.
The suspects waited in a parked car, a late model dark colored 2-door coupe, outside of the ranges until potential victims exited.
They robbed a 68-year-old man at gunpoint outside Yury's at 544 N. Percy St. around 6:40 p.m. Wednesday, emptying the victim's pockets and taking off with his backpack, which contained two .22 caliber handguns, according to authorities.
Poteat and her partner went to Delaware Valley Sports Center at 101 Geiger Road the next day and pulled off the same heist on an unsuspecting 67-year-old man, who was leaving the range with a friend around 8:40 p.m.
Offiicals say the robbers demanded the two men hand over their cash and gun and then fired shots,, striking the 67-year-old even though neither victim put up a fight.
Police describe the male suspect -- who is still at large -- as 5-feet 10-inches tall with a thin build and in his twenties.
Investigators also recovered the getaway car used in the crimes Saturday. It was located on the 200 block of South Hanson Street in West Philly.
A woman and a teenager were stabbed in two separate incidents in South Philly Saturday night.
A 16-year-old boy was stabbed in the back of hit neck around 9:30 p.m. near the 1800 block of South Street in Center City, according to officials.
Medical personnel transported the victim to Hahnemann University Hospital, according to reports.
About 30 minutes earlier, another stabbing took place in the Pennsport section of the city. The female victim, who was attacked near 5th and Moore streets, was transported to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
The victims' conditions are unknown at this time.
Stay with NBC10 for more on this developing story.
A promise from the Philadelphia Parking Authority to bring 150 handicapped-accessible taxicabs to the city has led advocates for people with disabilities to drop a lawsuit against the agency.
During a special board meeting held Thursday, the Authority approved regulations dedicating 150 taxicab medallions, set to be distributed over the next eight years, exclusively to wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs).
The approval came two weeks after the last board meeting where about a dozen advocates – many in wheelchairs – expressed their outrage over the regulation’s language, specifically one line that reads: “Only the first 15 authorized medallions are statutorily required to be wheelchair accessible vehicles.”
Even though that sentence remained, other adjustments -- including a separate order signed by U.S. District Judge Jones -- were made to clarify the authority’s commitment to WAV taxis.
“Each of the 150 taxicab medallions issued by the Authority… will be restricted to use through WAV vehicles," according to a decree the Judge signed Friday.
“That commitment in conjunction with other terms in [a separate order] signed by Federal Judge Jones … has both caused the lawsuit to be settled and secured the support of the disabled community for the Authority’s wheelchair taxicab regulations,” said Dennis Weldon, the PPA’s attorney.
The order also accounts for the possibility of even more medallions being auctioned off in the future, saying the PPA could issue up to 200 medallions for WAV taxis.
In response, Liberty Resources – a nonprofit organization that works on behalf of persons with disabilities – voiced their support of the ordinances in a letter to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC).
The IRRC will review the PPA’s rulemaking order on June 19, according to its meeting agenda.
The Authority intends to auction off the first 45 WAV medallions before the end of the year.
Contact Alison Burdo at 610.668.5635, alison.burdo@nbcuni.com or follow @NewsBurd on Twitter.
A New Jersey man faces several charges after allegedly becoming belligerent with lifeguards coming to his rescue from a rip current off a beach.
Ivan Rivera was under the influence of alcohol when he was caught in a rip current with another man and both were swept out to sea Saturday evening, said Seaside Heights Police Chief Tommy Boyd.
Two lifeguards went out to rescue Rivera and his friend and were put in jeopardy by Rivera's actions, according to Jay Boyd, the beach director and the police chief's brother.
When they were brought to shore, Rivera allegedly attacked two other lifeguards who came over to help, striking one of them in the jaw.
"He was clearly under the influence," said Jay Boyd.
All of this happened as Seaside Heights lifeguards were rescuing a total of seven swimmers off Seaside Heights along with several others off nearby beaches.
Rivera faces charges of simple assault, disorderly conduct and underage drinking, according to Police Chief Boyd.
Information on an attorney for Rivera was not immediately available.
No more scrambling for a ride after a weekend of drinking thanks to SEPTA's new 24-hour weekend service.
SEPTA's overnight service officially began at 12:01 a.m. Sunday morning. The pilot program offers 24-hour subway service on the Broad Street and Market-Frankford Lines. Subway trains will now replace Nite Owl buses on weekends and holidays.
Trains will run every 20 minutes between midnight and 5 a.m. through the weekend. Cashiers will be stationed at the busiest stations overnight but won't be at all stops.
To collect fares at unstaffed stops, the train operators will be accepting exact cash fares, tokens, passes and give out transfers. They will not, however, give out change.
"...With all of the restaurants, increased late-night activity and people moving back into the city, we're excited to be able to provide this service that city, business leaders and customers have been asking for," said General Manager Joseph M. Casey.
SEPTA says they will increase security overnight for the safety of passengers.
The program will be evaluated throughout the summer to decide whether or not to keep the 24-hour weekend service.
Information on the pilot program is available here.
A college student from Atlantic County will represent New Jersey during the Miss America pageant.
Cierra Kaler-Jones of Galloway Township was selected as the 2014 Miss New Jersey winner on Saturday.
Jones, a student at Rutgers University, was also the winner of the competition’s talent award for her contemporary dance to Beyonce’s “Listen.”
Jones beat out 23 other contestants in the competition, which took place at the Ocean City Music Pier.
It was the fourth time she had competed in the pageant, and her platform this year was "empowering today's youth through arts education.''
The first runner-up was Brenna Weick of Mantua.
The win gave Kaler-Jones a spot in the Miss America pageant, which will be held from Sept. 9-14 in Atlantic City. She will receive a $12,000 scholarship from the Miss New Jersey Education Foundation along with other prizes.
Last year's winner was Cara McCollum.
