A home invader robbed a 102-year-old woman and pushed her to the ground Monday night at a Philadelphia home, according to police.
Police say the 102-year-old woman and her 72-year-old daughter were inside their home on Dock Street when they heard their doorbell ring. When the daughter answered the door she was immediately pushed inside by a man in his 30s, investigators said.
The man then grabbed the daughter and dragged her towards the interior of the home, according to police. The 102-year-old woman tried to activate her lifeline pendant that was around her neck but the man pushed her to the floor and snatched it away before she could push the button, investigators said.
The man repeatedly demanded cash. He then fled the home after receiving the money and ran south on Dock Street, police said.
Police say the man was thin, stood about 5-foot-8 and was wearing a black knit hat, jeans and a waist-length coat. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please call Detective Lou Santora at 732-349-0150 extension 1276.
A man accused of opening fire inside a crowded Philadelphia store and killing a person inside was arrested in Florida Tuesday, according to police.
Investigators say Kayree Reid had just recently moved into a home in Orange Park, Florida and was under surveillance by the U.S. Marshals office. When Reid left the house Tuesday around 4:30 p.m., the Marshals moved in, investigators said.
Officials say Reid, 28, went into a vehicle driven by another person. The driver's baby was also inside the car, officials said. As authorities pursued, the car crashed into several police vehicles until Reid was finally apprehended and arrested, police said. The baby was not harmed during the ordeal.
Reid was wanted for the murder of 22-year-old Maurice McDonald back on Nov. 10. Reid allegedly opened fire on McDonald inside J&R Perez Grocery at 38th and Aspen streets in Philadelphia's Mantua neighborhood.
Responding officers rushed McDonald to Presbyterian Hospital where he died a short time later. McDonald's mother Tiffany Phelps said her son was likely at the store grabbing a bite.
"I love my son," she said. "You know, I know he's in God's hands and it is what it is. I'm just tired of these kids dying for nothing."
Store owner Jose Uran said he was upstairs at the time of the shooting and heard four shots ring out in the store despite there being children inside. No one else in the store was shot.
Officials have not yet revealed the specific charges Reid faces.
Two men were arrested after they allegedly struck several police vehicles and threw out crack cocaine from their car during a wild chase in Philadelphia Tuesday night.
The ordeal began shortly before 9 p.m. when 15th District narcotics officers approached a 51-year-old man and a 30-year-old man inside a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis on Cottman and Torresdale avenues. Both men were suspects in a drug transaction, according to investigators.
As police announced they were making an arrest, the 51-year-old man allegedly put the car in reverse, struck an unattended parked car and then tried to run over a narcotics officer. The officer jumped out of the way and narrowly avoided being struck by the vehicle, police said.
The Marquis went into a nearby playground and continued to travel erratically until a right front tire blew out, police said. As police officers continued to pursue, the men began throwing crack cocaine out of the vehicle, officials said.
The Marquis finally pulled over on the 7600 block of Torresdale Avenue and the men appeared to be turning themselves in, police said. The officers approached the vehicle as the driver and passenger door opened up. Suddenly, the 51-year-old drove off again at a high speed, struck two marked police vehicles and the chase continued, investigators said.
During the pursuit, the Marquis struck another police vehicle. At this point the front tire was completely blown out and the 51-year-old stopped the vehicle on the 7900 block of Torresdale Avenue, police said. Both men then got out of the car and ran through a vacant lot, according to investigators.
Police officers chased after them on foot and finally apprehended the two men, officials said. Investigators said the men were in possession of pills and crack cocaine, which police later confiscated.
Both men are in custody and charged with possession of narcotics. The 51-year-old man is also charged with eluding police and aggravated assault.
The 51-year-old man suffered a minor cut to the head and was treated at Aria Torresdale Hospital. The 30-year-old man was not injured. Police also say no officers were hurt during the chase.
An officer suffered minor injuries after a police cruiser and a fire truck collided in Philadelphia Tuesday night.
The accident occurred at Castor and Erie avenues. Officials say a police officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries. He was taken to Temple University Hospital.
The crash remains under investigation.
A Delaware County mom was arrested after police say they found hundreds of bags of heroin inside her home.
On Dec. 4 shortly after 6 a.m., the Chester Police Narcotics Unit and the Delaware County Narcotics Task Force executed a search warrant at the home of Maria Gutierrez on the 2500 block of Peoples Street in Chester following an ongoing investigation. Gutierrez, 29, as well as her two young daughters were inside the home at the time, police said.
When she was approached by police, Gutierrez allegedly told them she had heroin in a black purse in her bedroom as well as a gun registered to her boyfriend. Police say they found 715 bags of heroin labeled “Monopoly” and “Juice” inside the purse. They also found $1,001 in cash on a table next to Gutierrez’s bed, a loaded black and silver .45 cal Ruger P345 inside her bed and a tan and black .22 USFA ZIP firearm in a box on the bedroom floor, according to investigators.
Gutierrez’s neighbor, Alice Johnson, told NBC10 she was shocked by the allegations against her.
“To find out something like that was going on right across the street, it really shocked me,” Johnson said. “Especially the fact she had guns in the house. She would take her children to school and she’d be gone for a while and come back. That’s all we knew. I never knew anything like that was going on.”
Gutierrez was arrested and charged. She is currently being held in the Delaware County prison.
A 13-year-old boy and another teen were arrested for their alleged roles in a crime spree in Delaware that included the burglary of a liquor store.
On Tuesday night, New Castle City Police officers were called to the Buyrite Liquor Store located on W. 7th Street in New Castle.
The alarm was set off and the front glass door was smashed out.
A short time later, officers spotted two teens fitting the suspect’s description attempting to open car doors in the area of Battery Park.
Investigators say numerous stolen items were discovered on the teens.
Both teens -- ages 13 and 17 -- were charged with Burglary, Tampering with Motor Vehicle, Criminal Mischief, Underage Possession/Alcohol and Loitering.
The 13-year-old had an outstanding warrant for robbery, investigators said.
Wednesday marked solemn anniversaries for the Philadelphia police and fire departments as both departments marked the loss of one of their own.
Police Officer Daniel Faulkner was gunned down on Dec. 9, 1981 in Center City Philadelphia while fire Lt. Joyce Craig died battling a West Oak Lane blaze one year ago.
Faulkner’s murder became known around the world as his killer Mumia Abu-Jamal got celebrity support in fighting his conviction and got a reprieve from Death Row. Faulkner, married for only a year, was just 25 at the time of his killing at 13th and Locust streets.
Craig, a mother of two, became the first woman firefighter killed in the line of duty in Philadelphia. She was just 36 at the time.
The Philadelphia Fire Department planned to mark Craig’s passing with a flashlight vigil at Engine 64 – where Craig served – at Rising Sun Avenue and Benner Street in Lawncrest at 6:30 p.m.
And, people around the Philadelphia region paused Wednesday to remember Faulkner.
A low-cost carrier is adding a few more flights as they continue expansion at Philadelphia International Airport.
Spirit Airlines announced Wednesday that it would be flying between Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) starting in late April.
The addition of DTW and FLL brings the total amount of Spirit destinations at PHL to eight cities.
“We are very pleased Spirit continues to add service in Philadelphia," said Philadelphia International Airport CEO Mark Gale. "Our customers are the beneficiaries of Spirit's growth and expansion of services. As our airlines create more choices in scheduling, passengers often have more affordable travel options. It’s a trend we are excited to see.”
Spirit shares in the enthusiasm over more nonstop service.
"We are excited to bring more low fare choices to more places for our customers," said Mark Kopczak, Spirit’s vice president of network planning. "Spirit continues to make flying more affordable in Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, and Philadelphia, enabling customers to visit places they previously couldn't afford."
No frills fares for the new destinations were available for less than $100 just hours after the announcement of the new routes.
Who in the City of Brotherly Love exhibits integrity?
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter named Daniel Cantu-Hertzler of the city's Law Department the winner of the inaugural Inspector General's Joan Markman Award for Integrity Wednesday afternoon.
“Cantu-Hertzler is a consummate professional who does his job with integrity and honesty," said Nutter. "From his work in the Law Department to his work with the Office of the Inspector General, Daniel has been a dedicated public servant, working tirelessly on behalf of the citizens of Philadelphia. There are few City employees as deserving of this award as Daniel.”
The award "recognizes a city employee who demonstrates a strong commitment to integrity, diligence and transparency on behalf of the city of Philadelphia and works with the Office of the Inspector General to assist in an investigation of significance to the city," said a Nutter Administration news release.
Nutter and city Inspector General Amy Kurland honored one of the city's top legal fighters -- a 13-year veteran of the city's law department. Cantu-Hertzler has worked hard to make Philadelphia better, said Nutter.
The award is named for Markman who joined the Nutter administration in 2008 and served as the city’s first Chief Integrity Officer. Markman died in January after a battle with cancer. she was 57.
"Joan was tough, a fighter, and an exemplary public servant who believed in integrity, who believed in the goodness of people, and she loved her work," Nutter said after her passing.
As the city's first Chief Integrity Officer, Markman as well as her colleague Inspector General Amy Kurland, trained city employees in ethics rules, launched the website IntegrityWorks and discovered an overcharge related to a proposed long-term contract to build and operate a solid waste treatment facility which ultimately saved Philadelphia more than $9 million.
"I am honored and humbled to have my name associated with that of Joan Markman," said Cantu-Hertzler. "The leadership of Joan and her successors, and that of the Inspector General’s office, continues to make the City a better place."
As part of the award, Cantu-Hertzler received a $1,000 prize, two tickets in the mayor's box for an upcoming event and a certificate of recognition.
A house fire in Delaware that caused $100,000 in damage was started by a Christmas decoration malfunction, fire officials said.
The Christiana Fire Company was called to the unit block of Thomas Jefferson Boulevard at about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday for the report of a garage fire.
When firefighters arrived, they encountered heavy smoke and flames coming from the garage. The fire then extended to the rest of the house. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire.
Fire officials determined the fire was accidental and was caused by an electrical malfunction in Christmas decorations.
Damage to the house and garage is estimated at approximately $100,000.
There were no reports of any injuries.
A gun-wielding bandit donned a Penn State sweatshirt and a skeleton mask to rob a Delaware liquor store on Tuesday, and police are asking the public's help to track down the man.
Police said the robber walked into the Gumboro Liquor Store on Millsboro Highway near Whitesville Road about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Once inside, police said, the masked man approached a 23-year-old woman and a 29-year-old woman who were at the register, brandished a gun and demanded cash.
The clerks complied, police said, and the robber took an unknown amount of cash and fled.
Police described the robber as a white man about 5 feet 10 to 6 feet tall, weighing 190 to 200 pounds. Besides the skeleton mask, he wore a blue Penn State hooded sweatshirt, a camouflage jacket, blue jeans and brown boots.
Delaware State Police are asking that anyone with information on the robbery contact detectives at 302-752-3739 or call Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333. Tipsters can also text a tip anonymously to 274637 using the keyword "DSP."
The Holmesburg 14 and under football team is making Philadelphia proud down in Florida, but their mission is not over.
The team is participating in the American Youth Football National Championships in Kissimmee, Florida.
The Tigers beat a team from Texas 26-8 on December 6. On December 8, the team played a tight game, but they beat a team from Detroit, 21-19.
The team plays its third game on Thursday against a team from Virginia for the title.
