A Main Line resident is out more than $100,000 after someone stole her nationally-recognized antique button collection recently.
That resident, Sara Dreisbach, 86, believes she knows who stole her collection -- and also believes she helped with his getaway.
Police are looking for Dreisbach's long-time assistant Humberto Velasquez in connection with the heist. Velasquez is accused of swiping the best of the victim's collection while helping her move and then posting them on eBay to sell.
"He took the best of the collection," said the victim's daughter Holly Perry. "So she has a lot of buttons still, but the best of the buttons are gone."
Another button collector, who knew well of Dreisbach's collection and signature "selling style" alerted her to the theft. Velsaquez's name was listed as the return address on the eBay auction, said police.
"He knew that this collection was for my retirement and that I was not ever to sell it and he took it anyway," said Dreisbach.
Perhaps the biggest kick in the stomach for the victim, she may have added in his getaway when she bought him a ticket to his native Nicaragua for the holidays.
The victim and her family estimate the stolen collection was worth nearly $125,000.
With just 12 days until Christmas and shoppers headed out in droves, the timing couldn't be worse for a South Philadelphia Wal-Mart after a fire broke out forcing the store to close Saturday morning.
The fire broke out outside of the Wal-Mart on S. Columbus Blvd. forcing customers out of the store and into the bitter cold -- sans their holiday items.
The store is closed for the time being, but is expected to reopen later Saturday, according to a store employee.
No one was injured in the fire.
A woman was killed in a fiery crash on Roosevelt Boulevard overnight in the Olney section of the city.
The 30-year-old woman was traveling in the northbound outer lane of the Boulevard and Luzerne Street around 2:06 a.m. when she somehow lost control and crashed into a tree in the median between the inner and outer lanes, investigators said.
The impact caused the vehicle to erupt into flames, trapping the woman inside. Several witnesses tried to get the woman out but were unable to get to her due to the fire.
“We tried to break the windows, tried to do what we could to get someone, anyone out,” said Joey Herrschaft, one of the witnesses. “Within, it seemed like seconds, it just erupted in flames and there wasn’t really anything else we could do.”
The woman was pronounced dead by responding medics at 2:09 a.m.
Officials have not yet released the woman’s identity pending the notification of her family. They continue to investigate the crash.
A young boy is in the hospital after he was sexually assaulted by his own father, according to police.
The 5-year-old boy was inside a home on the 7100 block of Akron Street in Philadelphia around 2:23 p.m. when he was sexually assaulted by his 55-year-old father, investigators said.
The boy was taken to St. Christopher’s Hospital for evaluation. Neighbors told NBC10 the boy lives at the home with his father and mother.
"I can't understand why anybody would even want to do that," said John Sharp, one of the neighbors. "That's beyond my grasp. I honestly can't comprehend why anyone does that."
The Special Victims Unit is currently investigating the incident. No arrests have been made at this time. Officials have not yet revealed where the child’s father currently is.
This story is developing. Stay with NBC10.com for updates.
A grandmother was killed while seven people, including five children, are recovering after a fire broke out at a Lower Chichester home Saturday morning.
The woman, identified as 59-year-old Doris Morgan, was in the back porch of the house on the 100 block of Fronefield Avenue when the fire began. She later died from her injuries.
Morgan's daughter Shahara Martin, son-in-law Ahmad Martin and her five grandchildren, all under the age of 9, were also inside the home at the time.
Ahmad managed to get his children out of the home with the help of a neighbor. The neighbor, who was still in his pajamas, told NBC10 he ran over and broke the basement window with a tricycle before pulling the children to safety. Shahara also managed to escape.
Ahmad Martin suffered burns and smoke inhalation while rescuing his children. He is currently being treated in the burn unit at the Crozer-Chester Medical Center. The children were also taken to the hospital. Officials have not yet revealed their conditions.
The house was completely destroyed in the fire. Officials continue to investigate the cause.
The Red Cross is currently assisting the family.
This story is developing. Stay with NBC10.com for updates.
President Barack Obama will be in New Jersey next week to honor some of our nation’s heroes.
President Obama will travel to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey Monday to deliver a speech thanking America’s troops and their families for their service and sacrifice.
Obama is scheduled to arrive at the base via Air Force One around 2:10 p.m. Monday. He will then deliver his remarks around 2:45 p.m. and then depart around 4:35 p.m.
You can watch Obama’s speech live starting Monday afternoon by clicking here.
A man is fighting for his life after he was shot six times in North Philadelphia Saturday night.
The 49-year-old victim was arguing with another man around 7:30 p.m. on the 1600 block of York Street when the suspect allegedly pulled out a gun and opened fire.
The 49-year-old man was struck once in the stomach, once in the buttocks, twice in the groin and twice in the back. He was taken to Temple University Hospital where he is currently in critical condition.
The suspect, who was wearing all-black clothing, fled north on 17th Street from York, police said. They have not yet released a detailed description of him.
If you have any information on the shooting, please call Philadelphia Police.
A SEPTA train slammed into a car late Saturday night in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
The crash occurred shortly before midnight on the train tracks near the Riverwalk at Millennium Apartment Complex on Washington Street in Conshohocken, according to NBC10’s Randy Gyllenhaal, who witnessed the wreck as he was driving home.
Gyllenhaal told NBC10 that a SEPTA Regional Rail train traveling westbound slammed into the car, which was parked on the tracks.
“The car was on the tracks for whatever reason,” he said. “The train came through, hit the car and dragged it about 100 feet forward.”
Police arrived at the scene moments after the accident, according to Gyllenhaal.
“They said at the scene it didn’t appear anyone was seriously injured,” Gyllenhaal said.
Investigators later confirmed that no one was in the parked car at the time of the crash and no injuries were reported.
Shuttle buses transported commuters while crews investigated the crash. SEPTA got service back online by Sunday morning.
A New Jersey man was arrested on charges accusing him of stealing packages left outside homes by delivery trucks -- his second arrest for the crime this month, police said Saturday.
Alex Beltransarcay, 32, of Newark, was charged Friday with possession of stolen property, Paramus Police Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg said in a news release.
He had been charged with the same offense on Dec. 1 and had been free on $5,000 bail, the chief said.
Ramsey, New Jersey, police broadcast an alert at about 5 p.m. Friday that a woman operating a 2004 BMW X5 had just stolen packages from the porch of an area home. Paramus police soon spotted the car and stopped the suspects on Route 17 near the Garden State Parkway.
Officers noticed several packages inside the car and arrested Beltransarcay and 27-year-old Glennys Cuevaslorenzo, also of Newark, police said.
Both suspects were remanded to Bergen County Jail. Bail was set at $25,000 for Beltransarcay and $10,000 for Cuevaslorenzo.
It was unclear whether either has a lawyer.
A raccoon severely disrupted PATH train service and caused close to 10,000 PSE&G customers to lose power in Jersey City for almost two hours Friday night, officials said.
According to PSE&G, the outage occurred when the raccoon made contact with electrical equipment inside a switching station just after 7:30 p.m. Crews responded to the station and restored power by 9:20 p.m. The animal died.
Service on all but one PATH train line was suspended for a time because of the outage. Service on all lines has since resumed, though delays persisted late into Friday night, the Port Authority said.
One witness described the scene on twitter as frustrated commuters in Jersey City struggled to board crowded buses in the dark.
@NBCNewYork this is the Exchange area of Jersey City, people are fighting to get on a full bus... Total Darkness pic.twitter.com/36iQPAejEO
— Juan R (@JJR11) December 13, 2014
