After three years of searching, Philadelphia Police say they have found the man responsible for a series of rapes in Pennypack Park.
Robert Palen, 38, is charged in two assaults — one from August 2010 and another from August 2011, the department's Special Victims Unit confirms to NBC10.
He was found in a Wisconsin prison where he had been serving time for an attack on a woman in that state, police said.
Palen was extradited back to Philadelphia over the weekend and arraigned on the charges that include Rape, Attempted Murder, Aggravated Assault, Indecent Assault and Recklessly Endangering Another Person, police said.
Detectives began investigating the case in August 2011 after a 24-year-old woman was beaten and raped inside Pennypack Park.
Lt. Anthony McFadden said Palen picked up the victim at Torresdale Avenue and Longshore Street in a white pickup truck with a ladder rack on the back. He drove to Cresco Avenue, they went into a wooded area of the park and the assault took place, McFadden said.
"He brutally beat her ... leaving her barely clothed, bleeding," McFadden said.
While investigating that incident, detectives realized the suspect's description and the circumstances matched an assault from a year prior. They put out a composite sketch and a third victim, who told police she was assaulted in July 2010, came forward, McFadden said.
"He immediately took advantage. Knocked them almost unconscious, removed their clothing and continued beating them to the point where they had fractures and multiple facial injuries," McFadden said.
Despite the information provided by victims and DNA evidence from one case being uploaded into the national FBI database, the case went cold.
Then, this March, the database came back with a forensic match from an investigation in Madison, Wis.
Palen, a married father and former contractor, left his family toward the end of 2012 and moved west. While there, he beat and sexually assaulted a woman he had met on a dating website, McFadden said. He was in jail when Philadelphia Police were made aware of the connection.
SVU detectives reopened the investigation, learned Palen lived near the area where the victims were picked up, found the man's former work truck and had victims identify him through a photo array.
"We had to track each victim down and start the investigation all over again," McFadden said.
The discovery came too late for one of the women, however. The third victim to come forward, a 26-year-old who detailed the first attack in July 2010, has since died, McFadden said. He said her passing makes it impossible for police to file charges in that case.
Palen is currently being held on $10 million bail, according to court documents.
Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.
A fireball ripped through the night sky Monday, sparking excitement for witnesses along the East Coast.
Hundreds of reports flooded in after to the American Meteor Society claiming sightings from Maryland to Montreal. The meteor streaked across the sky around 6:35 p.m. and a New Jersey man caught the entire scene on his dashcam.
220+ reports about a Fireball over N/E USA on Dec 29th - http://t.co/nS19BxUiTI #ams #citizenscience pic.twitter.com/XD53tNctgH
— AMSMETEORS (@amsmeteors) December 30, 2014
The video shows the large fireball fly like shooting star briefly, before fading back into the dark. The video has gained over 35,000 views since being published to YouTube Monday.
Pete Czech, tweeted out the video which he took off his navigation system and its since aided in the collection of many more reports on the unique sighting.
For anyone interested this was the precise capture point of the #meteor as per @garmin. pic.twitter.com/UhnYySIUVb
— Pete Czech (@pjczech) December 30, 2014
Reports of any meteor sighting can be reported here.
A man who posted YouTube videos threatening law enforcement officials was shot and killed by police after he allegedly tried to run them over with his car in Delaware County Tuesday.
The man, identified by police as 52-year-old Joseph Anthony Pacini, had been charged Sunday with making terroristic threats, according to court records. He had also been charged in 2005 with making terroristic threats in Philadelphia, according to police.
Haverford Police, Clifton Police and a regional SWAT team went to Pacini's home in Clifton Heights late Tuesday afternoon to serve a warrant, according to investigators. They then followed him as he drove away from the home into Drexel Hill.
He was eventually stopped by Clifton Heights, Upper Darby and Haverford Police officers at Garrett Road and Shadeland Avenue. After officers told him to get out of the car, Pacini allegedly put his car in reverse and accelerated, slamming into the vehicle of the Clifton Heights Police chief.
Pacini then allegedly tried to run over other officers with his vehicle. Five of the officers took out their weapons and opened fire, striking him several times. He was pronounced dead at the scene. No officers were hurt during the ordeal.
Pacini was not armed at the time and may have had mental health issues, according to Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood.
Haverford Police Chief Carmine Pettine told NBC News the terroristic threat charge from Sunday stemmed from an incident that occurred at an LA Fitness on West Chester Pike. While at the gym, Pacini allegedly openly made threats against law enforcement that weren't aimed at anyone in particular.
Pettine would not elaborate on the nature of the threats but claimed Pacini was "saying them to whoever would listen to him."
Staff at the gym contacted police about Pacini's behavior and a Haverford police detective called Pacini, asking him to come to the police station.
Pacini never complied with the request however, according to police. Instead he posted videos on YouTube Monday and Tuesday addressing, among other things, the terroristic threat charge against him.
In the videos, Pacini claims he was falsely accused of crimes he didn't commit, begs for singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles to save him and threatens to kill law enforcement officers who were following him.
"You wanna try to bring me down?!" he screams in one of the videos. "I will f*****g kill you and your whole f*****g family!"
Pacini also asks Bareilles, a singer best known for her 2007 hit single "Love Song," to come to his rescue while calling her his "twin flame soul mate."
"Now Sara, this is up to you to come out and save me," he says. "You've got probably 12 to 24 hours tops. I'm waiting on you."
Pacini also claims he had "two lifetime prison sentences" and was "locked up into several insane asylums."
Pacini also repeatedly states that he refused to go back to prison.
"Clearly these guys want me dead or in prison and there's no way in hell I'm going back to prison," he says.
In another video, Pacini warns there would be "consequences," if he was arrested.
"There will be serious and irreversible, catastrophic consequences that no one wants," he says. "There is no way that I will allow anyone to take my freedom away again."
People across the region are sure to celebrate in their own special way during New Year's Eve. But Philadelphia officials warn that one form of celebration won't be tolerated.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey and District Attorney Seth Williams held an annual press conference Wednesday warning local residents not to ring in 2015 with gunfire.
“There is zero tolerance for people shooting firearms into the air to ‘celebrate’ the holiday,” said Williams. “It’s a stupid act that can have deadly consequences, and there is nothing festive about it.”
Joe Jaskolka, now 26, also attended the press conference. Back on December 31, 1998, when he was only 11 years old, Joe was struck in the head by a so-called “celebratory” bullet while walking along Fernon Street near Second Street in South Philadelphia. Joe is currently paralyzed on the right side of his body and face and also lost the use of his vocal chords on the left side.
Joe has undergone 33 brain surgeries and 21 eye surgeries. His family estimates insurers have paid more than $15 million to cover the cost of surgeries. The bullet is still lodged in his head and even after the surgeries Joe still suffers from double vision and shaking in his eyes whenever he speaks. His shooter was never caught.
“We went from having an annual New Year’s Eve party to having an annual press conference,” said Joe’s father Gregory.
For several years Joe and Gregory have joined the D.A. and police during their annual press conference to show a real life example of the consequences of firing guns in the air. But even with the yearly message, New Year’s Eve gunfire remains a serious problem. According to the District Attorney’s Office, Philadelphia Police received 132 reports of gunfire between 11 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2012 and 3 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2014.
“Ring in the New Year in a good way,” said Ramsey. “Don’t put somebody else’s life in jeopardy because you will go to jail.”
A headlight lens could be the key to finding the truck driver that ran down Theresa Pozzi two days before Christmas.
The impact of the crash along Street Road in Northeast Philadelphia last Tuesday evening broke off part of the left headlight, Philadelphia Police Capt. John Wilczynski said.
Investigators took the evidence to a car dealership which narrowed down the make and year of the truck involved to a 1987 to 1991 Ford pickup or tow truck, Wilczynski said.
"The fact that it's an older model '87 to '91 will narrow our search and hopefully someone has some information to bring," the captain said.
The 33-year-old woman was crossing the 8100 block of Street Road when the dark colored truck hit her at high speed, witnesses and police said. She was thrown down the street and the driver took off.
Three drivers stopped to stay with Pozzi as they waited for paramedics to arrive. She died after getting to the hospital, police said.
Police tracked down leads based on information provided by the witnesses, but they did not pan out, Wilczynski said. Detectives also canvassed the area, including surrounding blocks, for surveillance video, but were unable to find any.
Police are hoping someone may have spotted the truck before or after the crash and could provide more information.
"Even if it seems insignificant they should still give us the information," Wilczynski said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Philadelphia Police tipline at 215.686.TIPS.
A dump truck spilled a load of debris onto Interstate 95 Wednesday morning.
The crash slowed northbound traffic near Bridge Street in the Tacony section of Philadelphia around 9:30 a.m.
Traffic got by on the right shoulder but expect delays in the area.
The driver didn't suffer major injuries, according to dispatchers.
It wasn’t clear what caused the truck to flip.
Philadelphia Police released surveillance video Wednesday in hope someone will recognize suspects wanted for a burglary at a pub in the Frankford section of the city.
Three unknown males were captured on surveillance video breaking into the Train Wreck Pizzeria and Pub located at 1966 Bridge Street around 3 a.m. on December 21.
Once inside the pizzeria, the suspects took two flat-screen Panasonic televisions, a HP laptop, a silver iPad, and a cash register that held an undetermined amount of money.
The first suspect was seen wearing a baseball hat, light jacket, jeans and sneakers. The second and third male suspects were seen wearing hooded sweatshirts, jeans and sneakers.
After taking the stolen items, all three suspects fled from the scene in unknown directions.
If you have any information about this crime or these suspects, please contact the Northeast Detective Division at 215-686-3153.
Closing casinos and high-profile lawsuits won’t stop Atlantic City from using New Year’s Eve as a reason to charge top dollar for accommodations.
TravelMag.com named Atlantic City the second most expensive New Year’s destination in the United States. The average cost of a hotel room on New Year’s Eve runs about $350, about 586 percent higher than the normal rates in AC that start under $100.
New Orleans landed first place with an average room cost of $359. Philadelphia made the list at No. 20 with a hotel rate increase averaging 42 percent and a rate of $159 for the night – still about $200 less than New Orleans or Atlantic City.
The survey looked at the cheapest double room price in hotels in major cities with a rating of at least three stars before compiling and comparing the list.
A man’s dog was shot to death after trying to protect its owner from an attempted robbery in Overbrook body shop earlier this month, Philadelphia Police said.
Two men entered Body Central Collision Repair at 6115 Lancaster Ave. around 12:45 p.m. on December 6, where the victim was working in the garage. One of the suspects was armed and ordered the suspect to lay flat on the ground, police said.
The victim’s dog reacted to the commotion and sprinted from the back of the garage and stared lunging defensively at the suspect. The suspect shot and fatally wounded the pup before taking off by foot, police said.
Both male suspects are described as roughly 6-feet tall in black pants and black hoodies. One is about 175-pounds and 25-years-old while the other is of a medium build.
Police urge anyone with details on the attempted robbery and shooting to call the Philadelphia Police tipline at 215.686.TIPS.
A lucky lottery player is about to head into 2015 with a lot of extra cash.
A Mega Millions ticket sold at the Rite Aid along the 1900 block of Fairmount Avenue matched all five white balls during Tuesday's drawing earning its owner a $1 million prize, the Pennsylvania Lottery announced Wednesday.
Had the ticket also matched the yellow Mega Ball, it would have been worth around $172 million.
The winning numbers are: 03-07-44-63-67 and the Mega Ball of 12.
The winner is urged to sign the back of the ticket and present it to one of the lottery's offices. They have one year to claim the prize.
More than 100,400 Mega Million tickets purchased in Pennsylvania won some prize in the Tuesday night drawing, lottery officials said.
As for the jackpot, it has climbed to $188 million. The next drawing is Friday.
Officials with the Pennsylvania Department of Health are warning the public of possible measles exposures at the Please Touch Museum as well as a Main Line CVS.
According to health officials, a person who likely has measles may have exposed other people to the disease at the following locations at the following times:
While the vaccine for measles is highly effective, the following people are at risk of becoming infected if they have had contact with an infected person:
Symptoms of the measles begin one to two weeks after exposure. They include a runny nose, watery eyes, cough and high fever. After four days, a raised, red rash begins to spread on the face, down the body and out to the arms and legs. The rash normally lasts four to seven days.
A person with measles can spread the virus to others for four days before and four days after the rash begins. It can be spread through sneezing and coughing, touching contaminated objects and direct contact with infected nasal or throat secretions. Infected droplets and secretions can remain contagious on surfaces for up to two hours.
Complications from the measles can include ear infection, diarrhea, pneumonia, inflammation of the brain and even death. Measles can also cause miscarriages or premature delivery in pregnant woman.
For more information on measles and the MMR vaccine, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Health website or call the Health Department at 1-877-PA-HEALTH.
A traffic stop turned deadly overnight in South Jersey.
Police officers in Bridgeton, New Jersey opened fire on a 36-year-old passenger of a Jaguar after pulling the vehicle over at South Avenue and Henry Street around 9:20 p.m. Tuesday.
The man, later identified as Jerame Reid, died after being rushed to the hospital.
Police recovered a handgun from the scene and the suspect was apparently armed at the time of the shooting, according to investigators.
The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody for questioning.
Police didn't report any injuries to either officer involved in the shooting.
Investigators revealed few details about what led to the shooting or the initial traffic stop. New Jersey State Police continued to investigate through the early morning hours of Wednesday, marking various shell casings.
A bullet hole was also visible in the windshield of the vehicle.
Tahli Dawkins, who was taking out his recycling at the time of the shooting, told NBC10 he witnessed the incident.
"He had nothing in his hands," Dawkins said. "He had his hands up trying to get out of the car, one on the door was getting out like this and he just started shooting him."
The Cumberland County Prosecutors Office will also look into the deadly incident.
Reid had a three-month-old son, according to his cousin Keesha Springs.
"He was a good kid," Springs said. "He had a troubled past but after that he became a good person. I love my cousin. Everybody has their bad times and he had his bad times. But he was very lovable."
EDITOR'S NOTE: The details of this case are graphic and may be upsetting for some readers.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for a Chester County couple accused in the beating death of Scotty McMillan — a case that shocked their community.
Gary Fellenbaum, the boy's mother Jillian Tait and Fellenbaum's estranged wife Amber Fellenbaum were formally arraigned Wednesday on charges stemming from the beating death of the 3-year-old Scotty McMillan. During the arraignment, prosecutors filed notice to seek the death penalty against Tait and Fellenbaum.
The 23-year-old man accused of brutally abusing and killing his girlfriend’s son, twiddled his thumbs, looking down as he waived his right to a preliminary hearing earlier this month, according to witnesses in the courtroom.
Gary Fellenbaum and Tait face first-degree murder, child endangerment, assault and related charges stemming from the death of the 3-year-old West Caln, Pennsylvania boy. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Amber Fellenbaum faces child endangerment charges.
All three suspects have remained in isolation in state jail, said prosecutors.
McMillan died from what investigators said was abuse at the hand of his mother and her boyfriend inside a West Caln Township trailer home that Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan called an “American horror.”
"(Scotty) was systematically tortured and beaten to death,” said Hogan when he announced the arrests in early November. "He was punched in the face and in the stomach, he was scourged with a homemade whip, he was lashed with a metal rod, he was tied to a chair and beaten, he was tied upside down by his feet and beaten, his head was smashed through a wall and at the end of that he had bruises on top of bruises all over his body.”
The abuse occurred over a two-week period dating back to October in the Hope Lane home located about 35 miles west of Philadelphia, according to investigators.
Hogan said Scotty's mother sometimes watched the abuse and laughed.
Police said Gary Fellenbaum met Tait at a local Wal-Mart where they worked together. Tait and her two sons — Scotty and his 6-year-old brother — moved in with Fellenbaum in mid-October and the abuse began shortly thereafter, said investigators.
NBC10 is not naming this surviving boy since authorities said he is a victim of child abuse.
Fellenbaum expressed remorse that "his physical assaults caused another's death," according to a criminal complaint obtained by NBC10.
Amber Fellenbaum earlier told investigators she first became aware of the alleged abuse when she saw Fellenbaum spank Scotty after the boy didn’t respond to Fellenbaum. She also said she saw Fellenbaum and Tait beat Scotty with a green frying pan and saw Fellenbaum tape Scotty to a chair and severely pummel the boy’s face and stomach.
The county took the older brother and the Fellenbaums' 11-month-old daughter into protective custody.
The pilots behind the controls of a US Airways flight that crashed at Philadelphia International Airport in March failed to properly prepare the aircraft for takeoff, a Federal Aviation Administration report obtained by NBC10 concluded. Officials also found the plane’s captain had prescription drugs in his system that should have disqualified him from flying.
Initial findings by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) blamed the crash on wind sheer, but the internal FAA report points to pilot error.
The incident report, provided to NBC10 Investigative Reporter Harry Hairston through a Freedom of Information request, states the flight crew of US Airways flight 1702 did not enter velocity speeds needed for departure into the Airbus A320’s flight computer.
Once the pilot throttled up for takeoff along Runway 27 Left on March 13, an alarm sounded warning that cockpit levers were not set, the report said. The co-pilot relayed part of a written message prompting the pilot to move the levers to the “Take Off Go Around” position, according to the report.
However, the pilot only put the throttle in the Flexible Take-Off position and once the jet reached a speed of 92 mph, another alarm sounded warning the crew to move the engines into an Idle position, the report said. This is used during landing.
According to the report, the captain asked his co-pilot whether she had ever heard such an alarm on takeoff before. She answered “No.”
Despite the alarms, the crew continued with takeoff.
“We’ll get that straight when we get airborne,” officials quoted the pilot as saying.
The Fort Lauderdale, Florida-bound airliner, carrying 149 passengers and five crew, reached a speed of about 183 mph and 70 feet off the ground when the pilot felt “the aircraft was unsafe to fly,” the report stated.
He moved the throttle into the Idle position and the plane’s tail smashed into the runway, followed by the middle landing gear, the report said. The hard landing forced the plane’s nose into the ground, causing the landing gear to collapse and sent the jet skidding 2,000 feet across a grass field.
As it was sliding, the plane’s left engine sucked up runway lights and dirt causing it to smoke as passengers ran away to safety. Two passengers suffered minor injuries and had to be taken to the hospital.
“They should have never commenced to take off,” aviation expert Arthur Wolk said after reviewing the report with the NBC10 Investigators. “When they applied takeoff power, they got warnings the system was not properly set and the information they needed was not there.”
“That could have been a horribly fatal accident,” he added.
The report also says that the plane’s captain should not have even walked into the cockpit.
He underwent a stress test two days before the crash and was given two drugs — the sedative Midazolam and narcotic Fentanyl, the report said.
Based on how the body processes these drugs, the pilot would not be fit to fly until 60 hours after taking them. He returned 45 hours later and did not inform US Airways about his condition, officials said.
“These drugs have the ability impair one's attention and now we have an incident that relates to one's failure to attend to the business at hand which was to make sure the airplane was properly configure for taken off,” Wolk said.
A US Airways spokesperson declined to comment until the NTSB finishes its investigation.
The internal FAA report will be provided to the NTSB and a final report is expected to be released in Spring 2015.
