A taxi cab isn’t a common vehicle to use during a crime but that’s exactly the vehicle a South Jersey police department claims a trio used to swipe ATVs and an air compressor early this morning

Gloucester Township (Camden County) Police officers responded to the Buttonwood Village Apartments in Blackwood, N.J. around 3:15 a.m. Tuesday after reports of people breaking into a maintenance shed.

Responding officers saw two people trying to carry an all-terrain vehicle that was allegedly taken from a nearby shed. Both suspects ran off and one, Nevoro Young, 41 of the 1200 block of Lakeshore Drive in Camden was caught after a short foot chase.

As more officers responded to the scene, they saw a Camden County Yellow Cab Company taxi driving off with two ATVs in the trunk, according to police.

Officers stopped the cab and arrested the driver, Desiree Thomas, 23, of the 400 block of Winslow Street in Camden and the passenger, Matthew Howard, 18, of the 3000 block of Hartford Drive in Camden.

Police Capt. Jeff Weiserth said the taxi is a regular-sized four-door sedan. The ATVs, however, could possibly be smaller since two fit into the trunk.

Thomas, Howard and Young were all taken into custody on burglary, conspiracy and theft charges for trying to swipe the three ATVs and an air compressor that was also taken from a neighborhood shed.

Torres is believed to work as a taxi driver. She was also charged with resisting arrest since she tried to drive off, according to police.

Today on NBC10 News at 4 p.m.

Farmers in South Jersey are feeling the wrath of this year's record rain.

NBC10's Cydney Long investigates how the rain has damaged crops and the impact it will have on consumers.

Join us for that story today at 4 p.m. on NBC10 News.

Watch NBC10 live.

Click to watch on mobile.

Emergency crews are at the scene of a fatal accident at a SEPTA station in Haverford Township.

SEPTA officials say a person was struck and killed by a train Tuesday afternoon on the Norristown High Speed Line at Penfield station on Manoa Road and Lawson Avenue. They have not yet revealed the person’s identity.

Shuttle buses are currently operating between 69th Street and Wynnewood Road due to the accident.

SEPTA officials suspect that the incident was a freak accident.

"The preliminary investigation indicates that this was an accident," said SEPTA spokeswoman Kristin Geiger. "We don't have any reason to believe that this incident was a suicide or suspicious in nature."

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While it’s normally a welcome sight for farmers, this year’s record rain of 7 and a half inches has caused more harm than good for crops in South Jersey.

Judy DeFiccio of Pineland Farms in Hammonton, NJ, says her blueberries have been soaked in so much rain that the skin splits wide open. Her rows of corn will also harvest late due to essential nutrients in the soil being washed away during the afternoon downpours.

“You don’t see much water actually laying in the rows,” she said. “But when it rained, it literally washed everything out and it looked like a beach.”

She also says her rows of squash are wiped out by moisture and mold.

“There’s only so much you can do with fungicides,” she said. “The problem is we can’t get into the field to even apply them because it’s so wet.”

While DeFiccio says the fruits and vegetables won’t taste any different this year, she also says the yield or volume will be less than it has been in the past.

“When they picked ten or 20 bushels of squash in the day, now you’re picking three,” she said.

Due to the shortage from New Jersey this year, other states are picking up the slack. Sue McGrath only found Georgia corn while shopping at Bagliani’s Market in Hammonton on Tuesday.

“I know Jersey corn is out,” she said. “It’s the best. I’m going to go look now and see if I can get some.”

Dan Pauro, the produce manager at Bagliani’s, says some of the produce will cost more this season due to the shortage.  Last year they sold squash at $.50 a pound compared to $1.50 a pound this year.

“The squash, the cucumbers and the berries will cost more,” he said. “A lot of stuff is not drying out. It’s harder to get and the price is going to keep going up as the weather persists.”

DeFiccio says she’s anxious for some relief from the rain.

“It hurts us,” she said. “It will probably hurt the consumer somewhere down the road. Either by way of price or by way of lack of a local product that they would like to buy.”



 

A Lawnside Police lieutenant was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly tampering with evidence nearly five years ago.

Lieutenant Lloyd Lewis, 44, of Lawnside, is accused of hiding a statement a murder suspect made from police. Lewis, a 23-year veteran of the force, is the highest ranking member of the Lawnside Police Department.

On August 20, 2008, Lewis was contacted by a relative of Lee Williams Jr., a man who was wanted in connection with a homicide in Salem County, according to investigators. Investigators say Lewis was a longtime friend of Williams’ relative. The friend allegedly asked Lewis if he could help facilitate Williams’ surrender.

Police say Williams and Lewis waited for Salem County investigators at the Lawnside Police Department. While they waited, police say Williams insisted on making a statement. Police say Lewis then read Williams his Miranda Rights and then took a statement from him. Lewis allegedly recorded the statement with audio and video equipment and Williams admitted being an accomplice to murder.

Police say Lewis wrote a report on the incident that failed to document the fact that Williams offered a statement. Lewis allegedly did not mention the statement to Salem County Police. Lewis is also accused of failing to preserve the DVR record of the statement. Police say the device in the Lawnside police department copies over recordings after 45 days and Lewis made no effort to save the recording.

Salem County police say they learned about the statement after they recovered a letter from Williams to a friend which mentioned a statement they never knew existed. The officers notified the state Attorney General who contacted the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office.

Lewis was arrested on Tuesday and charged with four counts of Official Misconduct, three counts of Tampering with Evidence and Tampering with Public Records.

 

Philadelphia Police are searching for an alleged fugitive and serial bank robber.

Police say 27-year-old Carl Goodwin robbed a Citizens Bank branch at 6324 Stenton Avenue on Tuesday. Goodwin allegedly entered the bank around 12:15 p.m. and handed a teller a demand note. Police say Goodwin then took an undisclosed amount of cash, fled the bank on foot and was last seen heading south on Stenton Avenue.

Police say Goodwin also robbed that same bank back on June 20. He’s also accused of robbing a Bank of America on 3745 Aramingo Avenue back on June 21, and Beneficial Bank on 5301 Chew Avenue back on June 24.

Police say Goodwin is also wanted for the armed robbery of a Dunkin Donuts on 3705 Germantown Avenue back on June 17.

Finally, police say Goodwin is charged with escaping from a federal halfway house facility in Philadelphia last month.

Goodwin stands at 5-foot-10 and weighs 150 pounds. He is considered armed and dangerous.

If you have any information on Goodwin’s whereabouts, please call the FBI at 215-418-4000 or the Philadelphia Police Department.

Two letters in the wrong place are costing an area transportation agency hundreds of dollars.

A misspelled road sign in Lancaster County has led to plenty of laughs from drivers and plenty of dollars from PennDOT.

The brand new sign, on Route 322 South, reads “Epharta” when it should read “Ephrata,” the name of the borough.

“Holy cow!” said Sandy Diem while laughing. “Wow, that’s a big mistake!”

Residents say the name of the borough is often mispronounced and spelled incorrectly. PennDOT officials say the error happened in its sign shop and no one noticed until it was too late.

A contractor will fix the sign but it will cost up to $1200 and take a few weeks to complete. Until then however, the sign will continue to be a source of amusement for both Ephrata residents and fans of flatulence jokes.

A grenade was found inside a building in Camden, according to police.

Police say the grenade was found inside one of the donation boxes at the Camden Rescue Mission on 1634 South Broadway.

The bomb squad was called to the scene and the area was blocked off. The rescue mission was also temporarily evacuated. Police say the bomb squad safely removed the grenade and will determine whether or not it is a functioning explosive device before disposing of it.

No one was injured during the incident and police continue to investigate. No arrests have been made. 

The Camden County Rescue Mission is a group that provides food, clothing and furniture for those in need, including the homeless and victims of fires.

Stay with NBC10.com for more details on this developing story.

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We spoke about it on Monday, but the trade deadline is just around the corner, and it's high-time that Ruben Amaro starts taking inventory of his personnel. Specifically, those personnel that can get him a decent return in the form of young prospects from teams in need of additional bodies for the playoff push.

A name that's been tossed around as a potential trade candidate for most of the year is Chase Utley, who is in the final year of his contract with the Phillies. The 34-year-old veteran, who combines sterling defense with a solid offensive approach, would be a good fit for just about any team in need of a second baseman.

While a trade of Utley might be a bitter pill to swallow, he might just be the most valuable trade commodity in Ruben Amaro's possession not named Cliff Lee, and for fairly obvious reasons. He's a plus offensive player at a premium position, who plays great defense, is cost effective, and is quietly having a tremendous offensive season. With a .284/.348/.517 line entering play on Tuesday, Utley is amid his best season since he had a .905 OPS in 2009. His .866 OPS is the highest on the team, and his 11 home runs is sixth best in the Majors, which is fairly impressive considering that he missed a month thanks to an injury. In short: he can hit for average, can get on base, and can hit for power.

Speaking of injuries, it appears that Chase has not been hampered by the knee injuries that sapped his playing time and power during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. He's shown no ill-effects during the 2013 season, and has only missed time due to a not uncommon oblique injury. In other words, his health concerns don't appear to be much of a concern.

In the field, he's among the best glove-men in the game, as most advanced defensive metrics rank him in the top five in the MLB among second basemen. While quantifying defense is not an exact science, that won't change the fact that Utley is about as sure as they come in the field.

The good news is that there are quite a few teams who could use the services of Utley, thanks to second not being the deepest position in the game.

Baltimore Orioles(44-36, 2nd in ALE): Winners of the 2012 American League Wild Card have given time to Alexi Casilla (.591 OPS) and Ryan Flaherty (.626 OPS) this season. While longtime second baseman Brian Roberts has returned recently, the O's could use an upgrade if they want to repeat their 2012 success.

Toronto Blue Jays (41-41, 5th in ALE): The Jays, who made a lot of noise in the off-season with big move after big move, are currently getting very little out of second baseman Emilio Benafacio, who has a .538 OPS and two homers in 71 games this season.

Kansas City Royals (38-41, 3rd in ALC): If the long-suffering Royals were willing to trade top prospect Wil Myers in the off-season to make a push for October, they shouldn't be too hard to convince to trade Chris Getz, who has one home run and a .562 OPS this season.

Oakland Athletics (48-35, 2nd in ALW): Billy Beane, known curator of defensive-minded players who can get on base and hit for power, would go ga-ga over Utley, who would be a vast improvement over Eric Sogard, who has a .680 OPS and no homers on the season.

Arizona Diamondbacks (42-40, 1st in NLW): The D'Backs are making it happen in the weak National League West, and no thanks to 2B Cliff Pennington, who has all of one homer.

Los Angeles Dodgers (38-43, 5th in NLW): The Dodgers, emboldened by a new ownership group and a roster full of young talent and aging superstars, could add Utley to their collection of MLB veterans. A Dodger fan growing up, Utley would be right at home in Chavez Ravine, where he would take over for Mark Ellis, who has a .651 OPS.

Will Ruben Amaro pull the trigger on an Utley trade? That's hard to say. He's said publicly that he'd want Utley to remain a Phillie for life, and while most fans would agree, he'd be doing the team a disservice if he didn't at least dip his toe in the trade waters to see what kind of return he could get for the veteran. First and foremost, Amaro has to focus on rebuilding this team, even if that means trading a big part of it away.

Last year, West Catholic High was at the brink of closing down. This summer, equipped with a $1 million gift, a new name and a new philosophy, the school is the focus of ambitious plans to bring it back.

The million-dollar gift — from donors who wish to remain anonymous — will help implement the school's five-year strategic plan. As of Monday, the school at 45th and Chestnut streets changed its name to West Catholic Preparatory High School, Located in University City.

"It's more than simply a name change," said Brother Richard Kestler, school president. "It's really a philosophy change."

The school raised an additional million over the 2012-2013 fiscal year. Its strategic plan aims to make the institution self-sustaining by 2015.

New vision

The new name is meant to give off a more positive image to the community, according to Kestler.
At strategic planning meetings, Kestler said, "We came to the conclusion that the term 'West Philadelphia' had a negative connotation to the public."

The "University City," mentioned in the school's tagline gives off "a more positive perception," Kestler said. "And that was tested with our alums, our students and people in the community."

With its new name in place, West Catholic is looking to improve its academic and extracurricular programs as well as adding a SAT prep program for upperclassmen.

The school is also working with local universities, including Drexel, University of the Sciences and the University of Pennsylvania, on tutoring and career-exploration programs.

David Smith, who graduated from West Catholic in 2009, said that when he was a student, "They didn't really do a good job preparing you for college. A lot of people just couldn't handle college because we just weren't ready."

With the influx of competitive charter schools, the name change makes sense, Smith said. "That's why I think they want to put 'preparatory' in there," he said. "It kind of makes it sound more institutional.'

Potential students are required to take a placement exam as part of the application program, but Kestler said the school is establishing programs to help bring underperforming students interested in attending West Catholic up to speed.

These changes are encompassed in the school's five-year plan, which outlines goals to improve the school's curriculum, financial management and governance.

All of these improvements are designed to combat the biggest problem West Catholic and many other Philadelphia Catholic schools have been facing for years: declining enrollment.

Improving enrollment

The decreasing student population, according to Kestler, stems from families moving away or not being able to afford tuition.

West Catholic's goal, he said, is to increase enrollment from 245 students this past school year to 500 by 2015. The school already expects a total enrollment of 350 for the upcoming school year.

Part of the strategy is increasing outreach to families that aren't Catholic, according to Casey Carter, CEO of Faith in the Future, the organization that began running schools for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 2011.

As a part of their recruitment plan, West Catholic conducted a demographic study examining the student population by ZIP code.

West Catholic admissions officers are now going to other schools, especially charter schools, and even door-to-door, recruiting new students. West Catholic posters are even plastered on public buses.

Carter said that his foundation and West Catholic also are reaching out to students displaced by the recent public school closures.

"This is an opportunity to serve low-income families," Carter said. "We're encouraging those families to take the placement exam and apply for financial aid."

"We're going to continue to recruit in what has been out traditional area, West Philadelphia," said Kestler. "But we've decided that we need to spread out to cover the whole region."

The million-dollar gift, Carter said, is "a strong vote of confidence" that all the changes at West Catholic are working.

This story was reported through a news coverage partnership between NBC10.com and NewsWorks.org

A teenage girl found herself in handcuffs yesterday after an alleged joyride in a unique family vehicle.

Carly Zale is accused of stealing a hearse from the Zale Funeral Home on the 700 block of N White Horse Pike in Stratford, N.J., just before 11:45 a.m. Tuesday.

Zale, 18, is the daughter of the funeral home’s owner, according to Stratford Township Police.

Police say she took the black 2000 Cadillac hearse from an open garage at the funeral home. On her way out of the garage, Zale struck the garage wall, according to police.

There was no body in the hearse at the time, according to police.

Pennsauken Police recovered the hearse on Route 130 Tuesday afternoon. They arrested Zale and charged her with vehicle theft, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

The was the second time in three months that a hearse was stolen from the funeral home. It’s unclear who committed the earlier theft.

The Philadelphia Housing Authority added 48 new officers to its police force Tuesday at a swearing-in ceremony at the Norman Blumberg Apartments in North Philadelphia.

This is the first time the agency has expanded its police force in more than 12 years.

Congressman Chaka Fattah, City Council President Darrell Clarke and several City and State officials attended the ceremony where PHA announced new safety measures, including the addition of more than 600 high tech security cameras throughout its public housing properties.

PHA President Kelvin Jeremiah said the cameras will not only increase safety on PHA properties but in surrounding neighborhoods as well.

"I think it will increase the protection of our residents. With new cameras we will be able to monitor, from a central location, some 830 cameras that will be in place across our developments. All of those should be in place by April of next year. The kind of cameras that we're installing are not going to only be focused on PHA's properties; they'll be focused on the broader community, as well as properties surrounding PHA. So crime that is happening at or around our developments will be monitored," he said.

The announcement comes only days after State Representative Curtis Thomas issued a call for action against violence that he said was occurring primarily in and around PHA housing in his district.

Acting Chief of the Philadelphia Housing Authority Police Department (PHAPD) James Mitchell said some of the new officers will be deployed to Thomas' district.

"Safety is of the utmost importance to the Philadelphia Housing Authority and the Philadelphia Housing Authority Police Department. We're going to make sure that our officers are out there to cover those specific areas that Representative Thomas has identified," he said. "We work very closely with his office, we are here to serve, and we're going to make sure that we make an impact on crime in these areas."

Representative Thomas thanked the PHA for its swift response.

"I thank the Philadelphia Housing Authority for stepping up to the plate. We've had 52 shootings in my district between January and June. Many of these 52 shootings were either on or in close proximity to one of several of the public housing developments in my district. So I'm excited that they have stepped up on this issue," Thomas said.

PHAPD has shrunken considerably over recent years from a force of nearly 300 officers to less than 30 officers, primarily due to funding challenges and shifting priorities.

PHA has since adopted a community-policing model that engages residents, local business owners, faith-based organizations, community groups, nonprofit groups, and other city agencies in its policing efforts. As part of this new strategy, PHA has elected a number of its residents to be a part of its Board of Commissioners.

Nine year resident of Hill Creek Apartments and member of the PHA Board of Commissioners, Shellie Jackson, said she is proud to serve as a liaison between the residents of her community and the PHA.

"It's very important to me, being a part of the board. And I believe that all residents need to have that same desire within them to be liaisons for one another. That's the only way. What we just did here today was phenomenal and I'm happy to be a part of it. I really hope begin to feel the way that I do," Jackson said.

As a PHA housing resident, Jackson said she believes PHA's new initiatives will make her community safer.

"What we did here today, inducting these officers, it's phenomenal. I know that its going to help, I know that it's going to be safer, I know that it's going to make a big change."

One of the 19 elite firefighters killed in this weekend’s Arizona wildfire grew up in the Philadelphia area.

Robert Caldwell, a member of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, died Sunday as his team worked to contain the Yarnell Hills fire near Prescott, Ariz.

Caldwell’s family moved out west about 18 years ago, but the 23-year-old was born and raised in Richboro, Bucks County, Pa.

"We are extremely proud of him and we just want the rest of the world to know that," Dave Caldwell, Robert's father told NBC10.com Tuesday.

Dave Caldwell said he last saw his son, the youngest of two children and the family's only son, shortly before he left to fight the wild blaze.

"I had dinner with him before he went on this fire," the father said. "He smiled and waved to me. That's the last time I saw my son."

Family friend Mark Ciccone said Robert was "every man's son." He calls Robert's death "brutal."

“He’s the kind of kid you want to have some day,” he said. “If you were broken down on the side of the road, he would be the guy that would stop and fix it for you."

A rabid Eagles and Phillies fan, Robert would frequently travel back to the Philadelphia area along with his dad to see his grandmother and catch games at the Linc and Citizens Bank Park.

"He was a diehard fan," said Dave Caldwell. "In fact the night I saw him last he was wearing a Phillies shirt. On the back it said, "Hating the Mets until the day I die.'"

“He worshiped Brian Dawkins,” said Ciccone. “He never became a Cardinals fan or Diamondbacks fan. He would fight with all the fans out there.”

Adrienne Ciccone, Mark's daughter, would often go to Eagles games with Robert and their dads. She remembered one time, in particular, that showcased his “sweet, nice” personality.

“I would always complain that my dad would never buy me a foam finger,” she said. “And he disappeared for a few minutes and then he came back with a foam finger for me.”

“Even though he loved Arizona, he always had that soft spot for Philly,” she said.

Robert, who’s been described as “The Smart One” by friends, wasn’t sure what to do after high school – until he found firefighting.

“He was smart, but wasn’t interested in college,” Mark Ciccone said. “I talked to him about the army, but he really didn’t want to go into the army. Then he hooked on to the local fire department.”

He says Robert immediately began working towards becoming a member of the elite Granite Mountain Hotshots team. Described as the "Delta Force" of firefighting, the Hotshots are required to complete rigorous physical and mental training. They’re also prepared to stay out in the wilderness for two weeks fighting fires.

“He knew the danger of his job,” Adrienne Ciccone said. “He loved his job and he was just a really nice, sweet kid.”

Despite his heartbreak, Dave Caldwell takes solace in the fact that his son died doing what he loved.

"I do take great solace," he said. "Robert died doing what he loved doing. He took great pride in what he did."

Robert, who married last November, is survived by his wife Claire and 5-year-old stepson Zion.

"He cared a great deal for his new wife and stepson," the father said.

The Caldwell family is also grieving the loss of another family member, Robert’s cousin Grant McKee. McKee, 21, was also a Granite Mountain Hotshots member and died beside Robert.

A memorial service is expected to be held later this week to remember Robert.

Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.

A man is in surgery after being stabbed multiple times this morning.

A passing motorist saw the bloodied man in the street near a bus shelter along the 100 block of S Clinton and called police around 2:45 a.m., according to Doylestown Borough Police Lt. Pat Penecale.

Penecale said that originally it appeared the victim, believed to be in his 60s, was struck by a car near SEPTA’s Lansdale/Doylesown Regional Rail station. Medics arrived on the scene and determined that instead the had been stabbed.

The victim was medivaced to Temple University Hospital where he underwent surgery this morning, according to Penecale.

Police say they know who the victim is but aren't releasing his name at this time.

No word yet on possible motive or suspects.

Click here for more local news from around the region.

If you’re thinking of driving through downtown Philadelphia this Independence Day you may want to think again.

Thousands will flock to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Old City and other parts of Philadelphia Thursday for Independence Day festivities.

That means plenty of road closures, detours and potential traffic headaches as large areas are closed for the Wawa Welcome America concert and fireworks and other events.

The Party on the Parkway, Fourth of July concert featuring John Mayer, the Roots, Kevin Hart, Ne-Yo, Hunter Hayes and others and fireworks will mean plenty of closures around the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Closures began Wednesday at 9: 30 a.m. when the inner lanes (20th Street to Eakins Oval) of the Parkway were closed the length. The inner lanes will reopen for the afternoon rush (3 to 6: 30 p.m.) but then remain closed through the end of July 4th festivities.

The entire length of the Parkway from 18th Street to Eakins Oval will be closed starting at 6 a.m. July 4th through about 11:15 p.m. Other closures for most of the day include: Cherry Street from 18th to 20th Streets; 19th Street from Callowhill Street to the Parkway; 20th, 21st and 22nd Streets from Callowhill to Arch Streets; the eastbound and westbound exits of I-676 to 22nd and 23rd Streets; and the Martin Luther King Drive from the Art Museum to the Falls Bridge.

The closures and detours expand starting at 4 p.m. Closures include: Kelly Drive from South Ferry Road to Eakins Oval; Spring Garden and Callowhill Streets westbound at Broad Street and Hamilton Street westbound at 17th Street. Fairmount Avenue westbound will be diverted northbound onto Corinthian Avenue; 15th, 17th, 19th and 21st Streets south will be diverted eastbound onto Spring Garden Street; and 29th Street southbound will be diverted onto Poplar Street.

Other parts of the city will also see plenty of July 4th-related closures.

The 500 block of Chestnut Street (in front of Independence Hall -- that exact spot where the Declaration of Independence was signed) was closed to vehicles starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday to allow set up time for a free nighttime concert from Peter Nero and the Philly Pops. The closure continues until 4 p.m. Thursday to allow time to break down the stage and for the Independence Day Parade.

Chestnut and Market Streets from Front to 9th Streets will be closed July 4th from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for the patriotic parade.

Expect streets surrounding all the city events to become backed up and street parking to be sparse.

The best bet, as always during a big event, will be to take public transit downtown. After July 4th festivities: SEPTA will be running subway trains until 12:30 a.m.; SEPTA Regional Rail trains will leave Suburban Station until midnight (schedules may vary); SEPTA buses will be staged on 20th and 21st Streets and PATCO will be running on 15-minute intervals all night.

Before you leave on public transit or by car be sure to check the NBC10.com Traffic Page.