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Man Questioned About Murder of 2 Women

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Philadelphia police are questioning a 25-year-old man about the execution-style murders of two women inside a Northeast Philadelphia home Saturday.

The victims, Dollie Evans, 67, and Ruby Nell Thomas, 59, were killed inside Thomas' home on the 4700 block of Vista Street in the Holmesburg section of the city just before 6 p.m., according to authorities.

Thomas' body was found in the living room with a cord around her neck and a gunshot to the head. Evans' body was on the floor in an upstairs bedroom. She was also shot in the head.

Evans had an open-door policy, according to homicide investigators and was known to let people from the neighborhood stay with her. The person of interest brought in for questioning knows both victims, according to the head of Philadelphia's Homicide Division, Captain James Clark.

Investigators did not recover a weapon.

Some neighbors questioned whether revenge is at play. Evans' grandson was shot in front of the home last month. Capt. Clark said however that investigators do not believe the two crimes are connected.


Drunk Man Lets Boy Steer Moving Car: Police

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A Delaware County man is behind bars after police say he was drunk behind the wheel while his 8-year-old nephew was steering the car.

Clarence Hairston, 58, was stopped by police officers in Upper Darby around 3 p.m. Saturday after his vehicle was spotted in the middle of the street blocking traffic near Guilford and Copley Roads.

Police say his vehicle was making several “stop and go” movements and nearly struck a parked car.

When police officers approached the vehicle, they say they found Hairston in the driver’s seat drunk and with a beer in his hand. Hairston’s 8-year-old nephew was sitting in his lap holding onto the steering wheel while Hairston stepped on the gas and brake pedals, according to investigators. Police also say Hairston’s 9-year-old nephew was sitting in the backseat.

According to investigators, Hairston was supposed to be babysitting both boys at the time of the incident.

Hairston allegedly fell down twice as he tried to step out of his vehicle. Police also say he had blood shot eyes, slurred speech and smelled like alcohol.

None of the children were hurt in the incident. Hairston was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment and other related offenses.



Photo Credit: Upper Darby Police

Stray Bullet Nearly Strikes Sleeping Toddler

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Police in Delaware County want to know who fired the bullet that landed just inches from a toddler's crib Sunday night.

According to investigators, an unidentified gunman fired at least one shot that struck a home on the 500 block of Walnut Street in Darby around 11 p.m. The bullet came "just inches" from striking a 3-year-old boy who was sleeping in his crib, according to police.

Investigators also say the home is located near Darby Elementary School. Despite the close call, no one was injured in the shooting.

Police found several 9mm shell casings at the intersection of 6th and Walnut streets. Witnesses also claimed they spotted two men in dark clothing running from the scene shortly after the shooting.

Police have not yet released a detailed description of the suspect. They continue to investigate.

Check back for more details on this developing story.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Earthquake App and American Red Cross

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The strongest earthquake in almost 25 years hit the California Bay Area this past weekend. Judge Renee Cardwell Hughes from the American Red Cross of Southeastern PA has more information on the free Earthquake App.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

10 Questions: Abandoned Churches Photographer

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The majority of photographs featuring the City of Brotherly Love depict iconic landmarks like City Hall and Liberty Place. For one Lebanon County photographer, he looks to forgotten gems of Philly architecture for inspiration.

Matthew Christopher Murray is the artist behind “Abandoned America”, a photography series focusing on derelict buildings across the country. The centerpiece of this collection of crumbling houses and rusting factories is his images of abandoned churches.

Murray speaks to NBC10.com about how he became a photographer, his haunting church photos, and his work with saving forgotten structures.

What made you want to become a photographer?

Well I actually started out in the mental health field. I was interested in the history of mental health, asylum care, and institutional care. In 2002, I had been reading about Philadelphia State Hospital at Byberry, which was a psychiatric hospital in Northeast Philly. The hospital had been abandoned for about a decade, and after reading more about the facility, I decided I wanted to go there. See that place was a transformative experience for me. I was trying to explain what so significant about it, why it was important to see and document that place. I realized that while words were great, pictures were better at explaining the special interest in that building. That’s when I got started on photography.

Was that experience what sparked your interest in abandoned buildings and churches?

Unfortunately I didn’t get any good pictures of Philadelphia State Hospital. I was a terrible photographer back then, and now I regret not having any. After that day, I found out about other hospitals out there, as well as abandoned schools, power plants, and other derelict buildings. The obsession really started from there… I was overwhelmed by it, awed by it. Being so close to Philadelphia, I became inspired by all of the churches that had been consolidated and closed in and around the city. The architecture and history is so compelling and significant. These churches are repositories for immigrant culture, the people who came to these communities, and are full of distinctive features from those points in time. Now they’re falling into disrepair and are torn down. We’re losing a cultural legacy and works of art. Churches are the only buildings that are built as works of art…factories and schools are built on function, but churches are built to be works of art, grander than our own mortal existence.

Now on your website you feature a whole selection of Philadelphia abandoned churches. Could you tell me a bit about photographing St. Bonaventure?

St. Bonaventure was a difficult one. I had wanted to photograph the building for years! I tried to contact the owner to let me come on the property, but they never responded to any of my messages. They were hands off with regards to care and let the building fall apart. Luckily I was able to go in because it was already partially demolished before being torn down in 2013. The destruction of this church and the lack of the ability to document it when it was whole, it’s heartbreaking. It was one of last architecturally significant buildings in that neighborhood.

And on your Facebook page you have some photos of the Church of the Transfiguration?

That one is near and dear to me…of all of the places people contact me about, I get the most contacts from families that were a part of that church. A sad byproduct of the demolition of that church is that people are heartbroken. It wasn’t just a church building, Transfiguration. A brief background on this building: Raffaello Follieri, Anne Hathaway’s boyfriend, was a con man. He ran this big scam, said he was going to buy churches from the Vatican and convert them into places for the elderly, uninsured, and students. He got a few high profile investors and then lived the high life on the money. He purchased Transfiguration right before his house of cards collapsed and he went to prison. The church was sold to a Latin school, who bought it to be a school building and then hastily tore it down. There was no time to say goodbye, they just tore it down as quickly as possible so there wouldn’t be any opposition. As of about 3 months ago it was still a vacant lot. It would have been a tragedy to build a fast food place on that corner, but leaving it as a litter-packed parcel of land is so much worse.

Do you have any new abandoned buildings you are planning to photograph?

I hesitate on telling you that because it can be damaging to let people know where abandoned buildings are. People will strip out the buildings, so I keep that list close to the chest so they face a better fate. I try to get into buildings while they are still functional, that way I can preserve that building in at least one way.

What kinds of people have you met through photographing churches?

Oh, the American Catholic Historical Society, The Catholic Sun…organizations full of people who want to document these places. People look back at these great cathedrals and churches and know that 500 years of history are gone when one is torn down. I also work with preservation groups and people trying to salvage these buildings. Outside of my regular business, I hold photography workshops in some abandoned buildings and so far have raised $45,000 for properties I’ve partnered with.

And I hear you’re coming out with a new book of your photography?

Yes, it’s called “Abandoned America: The Age of Consequence.” It’s a collection of places I’ve photographer over 7 or 8 years. It includes sanatoriums, churches, power plants, and more. The book focuses on the phenomenon of widespread urban blight in historically significant and architecturally significant buildings that have been stripped, torn down, and lost in our culture.

What goes through your head when you’re photographing these churches?

Honestly, I’m just focused on the work I’m doing, playing out what next photograph take it, looking at what going to best represent building, space, contents, et cetera. I’m trying to find ways to make the place significant, showing people why a particular building is something they should care about.

Why Philadelphia for many of your photographs?

My family is from Philadelphia, I’ve spent most of my life in Philly. The city is in a transitional state where we still have some remaining historically significant buildings. These buildings are a part of my home, so I view them as a personal loss.

Do you still connect with the mental health field?

That’s an interesting question…I’m not as active photographing state hospitals because they’re almost all gone. In 10 years I think we’ll be able to say state hospitals are thing of past, all remnants will be gone. The opportunities to photograph those places just do not exist anymore.



Photo Credit: (C) Matthew Christopher Murray

Back to School for Bensalem

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Summer vacation is officially over for some students and teachers in Bensalem. But there are still some unresolved labor issues. NBC10's Cydney Long has the details.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Man Pleads Guilty in DUI Crash That Killed Girl

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A Florida man admitted to driving drunk during a crash that killed an 11-year-old girl and injured four others back in 2012.

Max Drosi of Miami pleaded guilty to charges of simple assault, aggravated assault, driving under the influence and other related offenses during a court appearance on Monday.

On March 25 around 12:30 p.m., Drosi was driving his 2012 Chevy Impala on 8th Street and Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia. As he was driving, Drosi ran a red light at the intersection and T-boned a 2003 Nissan SUV. The collision caused the SUV to careen into a nearby seafood restaurant, pinning 11-year-old Samantha Nguyen-Ortanez between the vehicle and the storefront.

“I was shook up, just trying to get things back together,” said Jesse Giordano, the owner of Captain Jesse’s seafood and a witness of the accident. “One minute you’re doing business the next minute all this. It’s insane, I can’t believe it happened.”

Nguyen-Ortanez, who was from Sicklerville, N.J. died from her injuries while her stepmother, 3-year-old brother, the female driver of the SUV and an employee of the seafood restaurant were all hurt.

The young girl was walking with her family at the time of the crash.

“The family was enjoying a Sunday afternoon shopping and they lost a young lady as a result of someone else’s negligence,” said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Joe Sullivan.

Drosi was under the influence during the crash and was looking down at his GPS. Officials have not yet revealed the date of his sentencing.



Photo Credit: Philadelphia Police

Galloway Township Property Tax Hike

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Angry residents of Galloway Township, NJ let their voices be heard during a meeting after they were slapped with a property tax hike.

Fake Officer Also Stole Money From Churches: Police

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Gustavo Garcia, who police say posed as a cop and sexually assaulted a store clerk, also stole thousands of dollars from three New Jersey churches.

Police Sergeant Killed in Motorcycle Crash

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A South Jersey police sergeant was killed in a motorcycle crash Monday night.

According to NBC40, Longport Police Sergeant Charles (Tom) Adams was riding his motorcycle on Harding Highway around 6 p.m. when he struck the side of an SUV. Investigators told NBC40 the SUV was trying to make a left hand turn onto Harding Highway moments before the collision.

Adams, a 21-year veteran of the department, was taken to Cooper University Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Officials continue to investigate the accident.

Ambulance Loses Tire While Carrying Sick Baby

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A local ambulance and transportation company already under investigation is now under even more scrutiny after one of its vehicles lost a tire while a sick infant was onboard.

The Keystone Quality Transport ambulance broke down on the Garden State Parkway last Thursday while carrying a sick baby. The child had to be taken by medical chopper to St. Christopher’s Hospital as the ambulance was towed.

The ambulance broke down only a few days after NBC10 first reported Keystone, a medical transport service with locations in Port Richmond, Parkside and Springfield, was under investigation for possible safety violations. Dozens of vehicles and five drivers were taken off the streets.

Richard Gibbons, director of the State Bureau of EMS, confirmed Keystone was under investigation though he didn’t reveal why. He did tell NBC10 however that the orange “Out of Service” stickers placed on the back of the vehicles were indicative of a safety issue.

“There can be a variety of issues,” Gibbons said. “Generally there’s something about the vehicle that makes it an immediate threat or potential immediate threat to life safety. Therefore we put it out of service until it’s corrected.”

NBC10 reached out to Keystone’s president Steve Barr for comment on Thursday’s incident but we have not yet heard from him. NBC10 later heard from a Keystone spokesperson.

“The ambulance simply hit an object in the road and had a flat tire,” the spokesman said.

Daniel Scull, the general manager of Court House Towing, doesn’t believe that’s what happened however.

“That wasn’t something that you could just run over,” Scull said. “In the event that it was, then both tires would be flat and they’d still be intact. It was not just a flat tire.”

A picture of the ambulance shows that the rear tire is completely missing. Scull says the lug nuts and studs that hold the tire on the vehicle were broken.

“We have to rely on our ambulances to be in tip top shape for the specific reasons that when we need to go somewhere and be transported, we rely on that to save our life,” Scull said.

Scull also says the tire that came off the ambulance was never found.

Officials with Keystone say that 80 percent of the vehicles taken off the road by state inspectors are now back in service. State inspectors still have not revealed the specific reason why the company is under investigation.
 



Photo Credit: Court House Towing

Starved Puppies Found at New Jersey Park

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UPDATE: Starved Pup Dies Day After Rescue: Officials

Two severely emaciated dogs were found at a New Jersey park Monday morning, and authorities are looking for the person who apparently neglected, abused and dumped the puppies.

A jogger found the 6-month-old pit bull mixes at East Side Park in Paterson at about 5 a.m., according to officials. The pups should normally weigh about 50 pounds each, but they each barely hit 14 on the scale.

"This is an extreme, extreme case of neglect," said veterinarian Paul Sedlacek of the Animal Clinic of Morris Plains.

Animal control officials said it appears the young dogs had been starved for months and were likely days from death when they were dumped near the baseball fields.

When officers arrived, one of the dogs -- since named Bunny by hospital staff -- was seen standing over her litter mate, named Bugsy, apparently trying to comfort and protect him.

Bugsy still cannot stand, and vets are trying to help him recover. Both dogs are being fed, and hospital staff are working with Second Chance Pet Adoption to eventually find them a home.

"We see dogs running on the streets for a period of time that don't look this skinny," said Sedlacek. "I'm concerned, were they in someone's possession and not being fed before they were released?"

A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to who abused them.

"There's no such thing as bad animals in the world. There's bad people that allow it to happen," said John DeCando of Paterson Animal Control. "This has got to stop."

Firefighters Pull Alarm, Clear Apartments

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Quick-acting firefighters made sure everyone got out safe after fire broke out inside a Northeast Philadelphia apartment building overnight.

Firefighters saw heavy smoke pouring from the Grant Meadows apartments at Grant Avenue and Ashton Road shortly after 11:30 p.m. Monday.

Even though firefighters responded to an alarm call at the apartments there was no audible alarm going off when they arrived, according to fire officials.

“He immediately pulled the pull station inside there, activated the alarm and evacuated the building,” said fire department Battalion Chief Michael Richey.

Richey said that the fire marshal would investigate a cause of the blaze that spread into the hallways of the building.

Luckily everyone got out OK.

“There were no injuries… however the Red Cross had to respond to work with three adult females and two adult males to find housing for them for the rest of the night,” said Richey.

In total, eight apartments were damaged.



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Report: Philly Drivers Are the Worst

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Nope, it’s not just in your head. Philly really does have the “worst drivers ever,” according to a new study from Allstate. In the insurance company’s tenth annual Best Drivers Report, Philly was ranked the worst among America’s largest cities(one million residents or more) when it came to the amount of car crashes.

According to the study, the average Philly driver will experience a car collision every 6.2 years and is more than 61.2 percent more likely to crash than the average American. Among all 200 cities in the country, Philadelphia was the ninth worst while Pittsburgh, the only other Pennsylvania city on the list, was the 14th worst overall but last among cities of its size.

Yet while the data is alarming, Allstate officials insist their intent is to help Philly drivers.

“We don’t want drivers in Philadelphia to be discouraged by their ranking. Instead, we want the report to challenge drivers in Philadelphia to make positive changes to their driving,” said Julia Reusch, an Allstate spokesperson.  “Our goal with this report is to make the cities that fall on the bottom of the list safer places to live and raise families.”

You can view Allstate’s full report here.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

The Case Against Accused Child Rapist, Abductor

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The Prosecution continues its case against Christina Regusters, accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl.

Photo Credit: Dori Spector

Taney on "Today Show"

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NBC10 was there as Mo'ne Davis and her Philly Little League teammates sat down with Matt Lauer Monday morning.

5th DUI for Delaware Man: Police

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A Lewes, Delaware man was charged with his fifth DUI on Monday night after he lost control of the truck he was driving causing it to overturn, according to police

State Troopers say Andrew Trala, 50, was taken into custody around 7:40 p.m. when he lost control of the dump truck he was driving causing it to flip over. The trailer attached to the truck also overturned sending paving equipment flying into nearby poles.

Once at the station, Trala was charged with driving under the influence.

This is the fifth DUI charge for Trala. His first drunk driving conviction dates back to 1992, police said.

Trala's being held on $9,202 cash bond.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 10 Philadelphia



Photo Credit: Delaware State Police

Another Crash Blocks Traffic on I-476

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Hours after a street sweeper collided with a car along a busy Pennsylvania highway Tuesday morning another crash closed the roadway in the other direction.

Two trucks and a car collided around 10:15 a.m. near mile-marker 30, causing northbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike's Northeast Extension (I-476) between Mid County (Exit 20) and Lansdale (Exit 31) to be blocked.

No one was hurt in the wreck but it caused a traffic backup as crews worked to clear the scene.

The three-vehicle crash happened a few miles of an earlier crash in the southbound lanes. That crash blocked the southbound lanes near mile-maker 27 -- past the Lansdale Exit -- around 5:45 a.m.

The impact of the wreck left the black sedan sideways on the road while the street sweeper pulled off the roadway.

NBC10 First Alert Traffic reporter Jillian Mele reported that the crash block both lanes of traffic causing a three-mile backup. Traffic did slowly get by on the shoulder as crews worked to clear the scene.

It took crews about an hour to clear the crash and reopen the lanes.



Photo Credit: SkyForce10

PPA Aims for Pay-by-Cell System Next Summer

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The Philadelphia Parking Authority reissued Monday its call for vendors to submit their versions of a pay-by-cell parking system – extending the deadline for submissions to Sept. 15 and reiterating its goal to roll out the payment method by the end of next summer.

The PPA initially revealed its intention to jump into the 21st century in early July when it posted a request for information (RFI) on a "an effective and efficient Pay by Cell Parking Payment System," according to the authority's website.

The information gathered through the RFI -- a call-out for materials that allow the PPA to identify the various mobile payment systems currently available --  will be used to develop a request for proposal, which is a more formal document used to select a vendor.

The RFI announced Monday clarified what information potential vendors need to present and changed the deadline from July 31 to Sept. 15, according to PPA spokesman Martin O'Rourke.

Despite pushing back the cutoff date, the Authority still aims to have a pay-by-cell system in operation by the end of summer 2015, O'Rourke said.

Features the Authority is interested in -- and drivers likely would welcome as well -- include a secure framework that is compatible with iOS and Android devices, reminders notifying motorists of dwindling time left on their meters and a user-friendly interface.

Armed Robbers Target High-Rise Parking Attendant

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A Philadelphia parking attendant ducked for cover after a trio of armed men tried to robbed him while parking cars outside a popular Center City high-rise.

According to Philadelphia Police, the 56-year-old parking attendant was working at the Park America lot located at 1900 Commerce Street in the Logan Circle section of the city when he saw three men head inside nearby Penn Center House around 5 p.m. Sunday.

The attendant told police that a few minutes later the same three men came out of the building and approached him.

The victim told police that the men then demanded money and his cellphone as one of the suspects displayed a handgun tucked into his waistband.

Surveillance video captured the men entering the building and then leaving. In the video released by investigators you see two of the suspects -- men in their 20s, one wearing a backpack -- approach the attendant’s booth.

The attendant refused the demands and stayed in the booth as the suspects fled towards 20th Street.

Investigators asked that anyone who recognizes the men call detectives at 215-686-3047 or contact police anonymously.



Photo Credit: Surveillance Image
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