Police are investigating two child luring incidents in South Jersey.
Investigators say a man in his 60s with gray hair driving a dark Volvo approached three boys on Manor Drive in Oaklyn, New Jersey back on January 16. When the boys walked away the man then drove off, according to officials.
Police believe the same man then approached two boys walking on Peter Hurd Way in Evesham Township about an hour later. A neighbor’s home surveillance video shows the boys walking home on the sidewalk. The suspect's Volvo then backs up and the man begins speaking to the children.
“Once the vehicle saw two children they say that the vehicle stopped at which time the driver, the male, asked the children if they would like any candy,” said Evesham Township Police Lieutenant Joe Friel. “The children knew something was definitely wrong. A really heads up move by the older child, 11-years-old. [He] pulls out his cellphone and pretends that he’s calling the police. He tells them, ‘I’m calling the police,' puts his phone to his ear and the vehicle drives away.”
Both Oaklyn and Evesham Police are investigating the incidents.
“We’ll be doing everything we can to try to maybe track this vehicle from Evesham, Oaklyn and between that time frame, maybe a highway camera, an E-ZPass,” Lieutenant Friel said.
While police believe the same man was involved in both luring incidents they also say he had different passengers. During the incident in Oaklyn, an older woman was with him while a young woman with blonde hair who appeared to be in her teens was with him during the incident in Evesham, according to witnesses.
If you have any information on either incident, please call Oaklyn or Evesham police.
A New Jersey man was arrested a second time for the murder of an elderly man four years ago.
Michael Castro, 34, of Pemberton, New Jersey was arrested Wednesday after he was indicted Tuesday on nine criminal counts, including murder and felony murder, in connection to the death of John Kingsbury.
Kingsbury, 77, was found injured and bleeding inside a home on the 2100 block of Woodland Avenue in Mullica Township back on February 5, 2012. He was taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center – Mainland Campus where he was pronounced dead a short time later. An autopsy revealed Kingsbury had been shot twice in the head and his death was ruled a homicide.
After an investigation, Castro was arrested at his home on April 9, 2013 and charged with murder, felony murder and weapons offenses. Officials alleged he shot and killed Kingsbury while burglarizing the home.
Castro was held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility on $1,100,000 bail. He was then indicted on July 3, 2013 for murder, felony murder, burglary and other related offenses.
Castro’s indictment was dismissed on June 17, 2014 however after his defense attorney argued that the grand jury based its decision on “false and misleading testimony,” according to the Press of Atlantic City. Castro was then freed in August, 2014 when the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office was unable to re-indict him.
On Tuesday however, the Atlantic County Grand Jury indicted Castro once again on charges of murder, burglary, unlawful possession of a handgun and the passing of bad checks. He was then arrested Wednesday and lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility on $800,000 full cash bail.
Castro is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.
PETA says it plans to turn the home featured in the film “Silence of the Lambs” into an animal house, NBC News reported.
Tracy Reiman, the executive vice president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, wrote a letter to the real estate agent handling the sale of the home, saying it would turn the house “into an empathy museum” for animals.
There was no immediate response from the agent.
The home, located in Layton, Pennsylvania, has yet to land a buyer. It was still on the market as of Wednesday, with an asking price of $249,000, according to the RE/MAX website.
Two men were killed while two others are in the hospital following two shootings in Chester Wednesday night.
Police found an unidentified man who had been shot to death inside a car on the 1600 block of Upland Street around 6:45 p.m.
About an hour later three men were shot outside the Village Deli on Morton Avenue between Johnson and East 12th Street. One of the men died while the other two are being treated at the Crozer Chester Medical Center. Police have not yet identified the man who died or revealed the conditions of the two other victims.
Detectives have not yet determined whether both shootings are related. No arrests have been made.
If you have any information on either shooting, please call Chester Police.
Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrived in Philadelphia Wednesday to meet with African American ministers and also to hold a fundraiser.
Clinton first paid a visit to Mother Bethel A.M.E. church in Society Hill where she spoke with African American ministers from across the country, including Mother Bethel’s reverend Mark Kelly Tyler. Clinton discussed criminal justice reform, jobs, equal pay and women’s health. Clinton also told the ministers, “I want to be your partner, not just your president.” Reverend Tyler told NBC10 Clinton has his support.
“I’m not saying that I’m voting for her just because she’s a woman but I’m certainly voting for her because she’s qualified, she’s capable, she’s ready to lead and the fact that she’s a woman is a plus,” Reverend Tyler said. “We need to diversify our country.”
After meeting with the ministers, Clinton attended a private fundraiser event at the Franklin Square Capital Partners building in South Philadelphia.
Clinton is currently locked in a tight contest in Monday’s Iowa caucuses with fellow Democratic presidential nominee Bernie Sanders. Both are hoping to be the nominee that democrats choose in six months at the Wells Fargo Center during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
Tourism officials estimate a $300 million economic impact from the convention.
“We’re expecting anywhere from 35,000 to 50,000 attendees, “said Julie Coker-Graham of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB).
Mayor Jim Kenney told NBC10 the city is already planning for the event with the Secret Service and the FBI. He also said however it would be a much smaller event than the Papal visit last year.
“It’s not going to be a lockdown,” Kenney said. “As a matter of fact this is going to be an opportunity for our restaurants and our other night life and our other brew pubs and bars and restaurants to shine and make some money.”
As you head out the door Thursday morning, be alert for possible slick spots on the roadways.
With the snow melt happening Wednesday, any leftover precipitation on the ground will re-freeze due to the below freezing temperatures.
Drivers are urged to exercise caution while driving, especially while traveling on off-ramps and on-ramps.
After the morning chill breaks Thursday, sunshine will take over and temps will be in the mid-40s.
On Friday, areas north and west of Philadelphia could see some snow showers during the mid-morning hours. Temps will warm-up to the 40s as well on Friday.
We will see a warm-up this weekend with a high of 45 on Saturday and 50 degrees on Sunday. And don’t look now, but some areas could see the 60s in the 7-day forecast.
A man accused of posting threats online aimed at police officers in Chester is under arrest.
The man’s threats, police say, are in retaliation to the arrest of a 17-year-old girl Wednesday who allegedly threatened violence at the Chester Upland and Chichester School Districts.
Authorities say 23-year-old David Milbourne, of Media, is facing several charges.
According to investigators, Milbourne posted threats online against the Chester Police Department.
Milbourne has been charged with making terroristic threats and harassment.
It is believed Milbourne made the threats in response to a 17-year-old girl who was arrested for posting threats on Instagram Tuesday night.
A message was posted on Instagram Tuesday night threatening black students at schools in the Chester Upland School District, Chester Community Charter School and Chichester High School. Another message threatened students at "Lincoln," but did not specify which school with that name it was referring to. The 17-year-old is facing charges.
It was not immediately known if there was a connection between the teen and Milbourne.
A person was pulled from a raging two-alarm fire inside a Trenton, New Jersey rowhome Friday night and flown to a nearby hospital, fire officials said.
The fire started around 8:30 p.m. at a home on South Clinton Avenue near Hamilton in the state capital, according to officials.
Firefighters rescued one person from the home. They were taken by a medical helicopter to a nearby trauma center for treatment of serious injuries. Their condition was not immediately known.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
A Philadelphia car salesman will be rolling like Pope Francis after winning a special Fiat 500L the pontiff used during his historic visit to the United States last year during an auction at the Philadelphia International Auto Show.
Michael Chapman, owner of Chapman Ford in Northeast Philadelphia, placed the winning bid of $82,000 to buy one of the pope's four-door compact at auction Friday night. The car retails for $19,495.
A second Fiat, also used during the September visit, is on display at the car show inside the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Pope Francis spent two days in Philadelphia attending the World Meeting of Families and celebrating Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. He also addressed a joint session of Congress, met with President Obama at The White House and spoke at the United Nations.
The Fiat became a sensation online after the pope used the Italian vehicle to zip around Washington, D.C., New York, and Philadelphia. Fiat dealerships reported increased sales as well.
People had the opportunity to bid in person or online. Archdiocesan spokesman Ken Gavin said more than 19 bidders participated the auction. He did not say how many bids were cast.
The proceeds will benefit the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's special education schools.
The pope's second Fiat will be on display through February 7. Organizers say it may be auctioned off once the show closes.
A group of animal lovers impersonated animal control officers to take a Rottweiler, they said was being abused, from a Philadelphia home this week, the dog's owner claims. But officials say the canine was being properly cared for and blame the entire episode on a series of photos posted to Facebook.
Members of several animal rescue groups showed up at Brenda Johnson's Northeast Philadelphia home Tuesday claiming her dog, 8-year-old King, was being removed from her care because he was being subjected to poor living conditions, the woman said.
Johnson said the group members identified themselves as humane officers from the Pennsylvania SPCA. She claims the group threatened her with animal cruelty charges and said a series of photos showing King appearing to hang from weather stripping attached to her garage prompted them to rescue the dog.
Johnson said King regularly sleeps in the garage, which is climate controlled, and was jumping in the photo in question.
When Johnson called the PSPCA to protest King's removal, they said their officers hadn't taken the dog. An investigation led PSPCA officers to the animal group who had brought the dog to upstate New York.
"It's not right, whatever they did to me, they going to be doing it to other people, and they really took advantage of us," Johnson said.
George Bengal, PSPCA Director of Humane Enforcement, said his officers had checked on the dog in the summer after the same photos showed up on Facebook at that time. He said the animal was in good health and was being treated well.
Bengal said there are times photos and videos posted to social networks drive animal rescues, but in this case, the images don't tell a true story.
The PSPCA retrieved the dog on Friday and returned him to Johnson.
"You can look at my animal, he doesn't look like he's abused, he's healthy, he's been registered to the state," she said.
NBC10 spoke to several of the groups who believe their members were involved in the incident. Their names are being withheld because they have not been charged with a crime and haven't been positively linked to the confiscation.
Rescue group leaders said they didn't threaten Johnson, claim to be from the PSPCA and said the woman willingly handed over King.
The PSPCA and police aren't planning on filing charges.
Johnson, however, is preparing to file a complaint with the state and a lawsuit in civil court.
