A Philadelphia store owner says a couple used his kindness as an opportunity to steal from him on Saturday.

Andy Cohen, who's owned the Mattress and Furniture Outlet, on Kensington Avenue near Buckius Street on the border of Frankford and Juniata Park for about five years, said a man and a woman came into his shop on Saturday. The woman told Cohen she was a nurse and needed a bed for an older disabled woman for whom she cares.

Cohen said he spent more than a half-hour with the pair, helping them to find a mattress and then tying the mattress to the car for them.

Things went awry when he went back into the warehouse to get the box spring to bring to the car, the store owner said.

When he returned, the couple was nowhere to be found. He helped another customer, and a short time later, he discovered that his iPad, which had been sitting on a counter in the store, was missing.

At first, Cohen said he figured he'd misplaced the iPad -- but then he looked through surveillance video and was shocked at what he discovered: In the video, a man and a woman can be seen walking up to a counter. The man picks up the iPad, grins to himself, and puts it down his pants before the pair walk away and out of the store.

Cohen said in the half-decade he's owned the furniture store, this is the first time he's ever been the victim of a theft.

"We give personal service for each customer, and even in this case, we tried to give the best service for a disabled woman, and [while] we try to give the best service, the lady steals from my store," Cohen told NBC10.

"It's insane," he said. "You try to give the best service for the customer, and they steal from you."

Luckily for Cohen -- and unfortunately for the suspected thieves -- his surveillance cameras captured clear shots of both people. He contacted the police, he said, and detectives are working on the case. Cohen said he decided to share the surveillance video with NBC10 on Sunday in hopes not only that the suspects will be caught, but also that nobody else will fall victim.

"I hope that they're not gonna do it again," Cohen said. "When the news is involved and it's on camera, people are gonna think twice. We're trying to leave the message that we're trying to live in a better society."

Anyone with information on the theft should contact the Philadelphia Police tipline at 215-686-8477 or text a tip to PPD TIP (773847).

The Sixers continue to be an organization in flux.

Ahead of the team's final home game of the season on Sunday, Sixers owner Joshua Harris named Bryan Colangelo president of basketball operations. Also, Bryan's father Jerry Colangelo will relinquish his role as chairman of basketball operations, though he will remain as a special advisor to Harris.

These changes come just days after Sam Hinkie abruptly resigned from his position as president and general manager.

Police are searching for a driver who crashed his SUV into a Bensalem home and then fled the scene Sunday morning.

Police say the unidentified man was driving northbound on Knights Road around 5:30 a.m. when he lost control of his vehicle and went off the road. The gray SUV went through a few bushes, clipped the branches of a tree and crashed through a garden shed before slamming into a home on the 2200 block of Monroe Avenue.

Barret Davis, the homeowner, told NBC10 he was sleeping upstairs when the SUV crashed through his living room.

“I came downstairs and there’s a car turned sideways,” he said. “I thought it was a dream.”

Police say the driver ran off on foot after crashing through the house. Investigators believe he was intoxicated at the time of the crash and that he was going well above the 35 mph speed limit.

“He did travel airborne quite a distance and have enough force to go through the home,” said Bensalem Police Lieutenant William McVey. “You can imagine what speed it had to be.”

Davis told NBC10 his wife suffered a medical emergency after witnessing the aftermath of the accident. She was taken to the hospital but is expected to be okay. Police continue to search for the driver though they have not yet released a description of him.

A Pennsylvania man has been charged with a weapons offense after his arrest at the entrance to the Holland Tunnel.

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police say an officer noticed a pickup truck driving through the toll plaza Saturday evening with a large, blue plastic drum in the back.

Officer Evangelos Mageros pulled the truck over to check for hazardous materials and the driver said there was a weapon in the drum, according to investigators.

A search found a 12-gauge shotgun and 175 rounds of ammunition. Police say 45-year-old Marlon Murphy, of Easton, Pennsylvania, couldn't provide documentation for the shotgun.

He was charged with unlawful weapons possession. Bail was set at $30,000.

A phone listing couldn't be found for Murphy, and it wasn't immediately known if he'd retained an attorney.

A Philadelphia Police officer praised for chasing down a gunman who police say ambushed the officer will throw out the first pitch at the Phillies Home Opener Monday afternoon.

Officer Jesse Hartnett will throw the first pitch just moments before the Phillies take the field to face the San Diego Padres at 3 p.m.

You can watch the game LIVE on NBC10 following the 'Welcome Home Phillies' Special at 2 p.m.

Hartnett, 33, spent two weeks in the hospital after the January attack. He has undergone multiple surgeries after being shot three times in the arm. Edward Archer, 30, faces attempted murder and other charges in the ambush-style shooting. Police say he confessed to the shooting.

Despite being shot, Hartnett returned fire and helped capture Archer, police said.

The first pitch is part of an afternoon full of activities at Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia.

The festivities begin at noon with a block party on Citizens Bank Park Way featuring live music and a Ferris wheel. The block party is open to the public and you won’t need a ticket to take part in it.
    
For those who do have tickets to the game, gates open at 12:35 p.m. and each fan will receive a free Opening Day commemorative Phillies cap. The Phillies will then enter the park from center Field, giving fans the chance to see the players up close before they take the field. Click here for full Opening Day festivities.

Monday marks the 10th annual National Pet Day, which celebrates four-legged friends around the country and helps find homes for adoptable animals.

Popular dog breeds such as the schnauzer and golden retriever are most likely to be adopted, along with tabby cats and gray cats, a Priceonomics study found. 

But according to a PetFinder survey, "less adoptable" animals spend nearly four times longer in a shelter than the average pet. The wait time can be years.

Common Shelter Breeds
The American pit bull terrier and the Chihuahua are the two most common dog breeds found in animal shelters, with thousands available for adoption, according to PetBreeds.com.

Although pit bulls have a reputation for being aggressive, the American Temperament Test Society says the breed has a friendly demeanor, with a temperament rating of 86.9 percent.

Chihuahuas, which have been appearing more frequently in shelters due to their pop culture popularity in the early 2000s, are extremely loyal and love people.

Senior Pets
Often overlooked for wiggly puppies and furry kittens, older pets can spend years living in shelters. Many senior pets are already potty trained, know basic commands and have fewer needs than their younger counterparts.

They're generally calmer than puppies and kittens and adapt faster to family environments and first-time pet owners, according to the Sacramento Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Older pets are also less likely to damage your home or keep you up at night.

Rabbits
Over 4,000 adoptable rabbits are available through PetFinder. According to SaveABunny, a nonprofit rabbit rescue, rabbits are the third most common type of animals euthanized at shelters. They make great companions, but require a different type of work and attention than cats and dogs. Before making the decision to bring home a long-eared friend, be sure to know what to expect.

Unlike cats and dogs, rabbits require a specific indoor, caged environment. The ASPCA suggests having as large a space for your rabbit as possible, with room for a litter box with hay and plenty of food. Cages must be cleaned once or twice a week and litter boxes should be changed daily.

Rabbits need toys to chew and must also get plenty of exercise outside their cages. They need several hours a day to run and jump in a safe area, either inside or outside the house, according to the ASPCA. 

Reptiles
The number of people who own reptiles has doubled over the past 10 years, according to an American Pet Products Association report cited in Animal Sheltering Magazine. As a result, shelters are seeing a large number of reptiles abandoned by owners who find themselves unprepared.

It's important to research the type of reptile you plan to adopt. Familiarize yourself with the animal's required living environment and make sure you can accommodate the reptile when it's fully grown.

Though specific care depends on the type of animal, home environment is an important factor for all reptiles. These pets are cold blooded and require specific temperatures and lighting, according to Pets at Home's guidelines. 

For a good family pet, Reptiles Magazine suggests the bearded dragon and a variety of gecko species.

NBC10 is hosting a community forum in Philadelphia next week that will feature White House National Drug Control Policy Director Michael Botticelli. The forum, the first of its kind to take place in Philadelphia, is part of Generation Addicted, NBC10's in-depth examination of the heroin epidemic in the Delaware Valley and beyond.

Philadelphia's community forum, set to take place at the National Constitution Center at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12, is one of a series of similar discussions that the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy is holding across the United States in an effort to continue the Obama Administration's commitment to talking about -- and finding solutions for -- the heroin and opioid epidemic.

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Botticelli, who spoke with NBC10 for Generation Addicted about a shift toward handling addiction with more healing than handcuffs, will join state and local leaders and other stakeholders from Pennsylvania and New Jersey for a panel discussion on the fight against addiction.

NBC10's Denise Nakano, who worked on Generation Addicted and won an Emmy last year for her coverage of heroin's impact in Camden, NJ, will moderate the panel discussion.

Other panelists include Patty DiRenzo, a South Jersey mother who lost her son, Sal, to a heroin overdose in 2010 and has since joined the Camden County Heroin Task Force; Dr. Arthur Evans, the commissioner of Philadelphia's Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services; Fred Harran, Bensalem Township's Public Safety Director; NBC10 reporter Vince Lattanzio, who worked on Generation Addicted; and Devin Reaves, a clinical outreach coordinator with Life of Purpose Treatment who also runs Brotherly Love House, a recovery house for young men in Philadelphia. Viewers will recognize most of the panelists as people who appeared in Generation Addicted.

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Other speakers will include U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Zane David Memeger; Gary Tennis, secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs; Dr. Rachel Levine, physician general of the Pennsylvania Department of Health; and Thomas Cain, president of Mirmont Treatment Centers.

Generation Addicted was the culmination of nearly half a year of reporting on the heroin epidemic by NBC10's Lattanzio, Nakano and Morgan Zalot. The exclusive report, which included a half-hour television special that aired in March, as well as an extensive multimedia presentation, extended to 18 cities and towns across four states and the District of Columbia. Supported by Main Line Health's Mirmont Treatment Center, Generation Addicted chronicled the experiences of dozens of people involved with addiction -- from parents fighting to keep their children alive, to police on the front lines saving lives, to young adults struggling to stop using and get their lives back on track.

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Tuesday's community forum will be live-streamed on NBC10.com and the NBC10 app. Viewers are encouraged to continue sharing their own stories and experiences with addiction via the NBC10 app and on social media using the hashtag #AddictionIs.

Watch the half-hour Generation Addicted special here and view the digital presentation here.

Ed Snider, the visionary founding father of the Flyers who built a financial empire at Comcast Spectacor, has died at the age of 83 at his home in Montecito, Calif.

The renowned entrepreneur, who grew up in Washington, D.C., had been undergoing treatment for a recurrence of bladder cancer.

Snider’s legacy spanned five decades covering sports and entertainment, business and humanitarian enterprises.

“He was always like, ‘If you don’t take a risk you won’t make mistakes and you’ll never learn,’ and he was really, again, he was a forward-thinking guy,” said Dave Scott, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Comcast Spectacor.

“Always looking ahead, always learning new things. I think that's what I've really learned from him. He believes in hiring great people and really let the people do their jobs. And I really appreciated that.”

An emotional man driven to win, whether it be in business, his hockey team, or on the tennis court, Snider routinely embraced risk and envisioned long term gain.

“He was a true entrepreneur who could look at any business situation with a different take than anyone else,” said Peter Luukko, his former partner and COO of Comcast Spectacor. “Ed saw where a business could be successful where others didn’t.

“He could take a business situation and play to its strengths instead of worry about potential downsides … He always surrounded himself with advisors who had a certain business specialty. One of his favorite sayings was, ‘hire good people and let them do their jobs.’”

Snider did his job with the kind of efficiency others only dreamed about as he established nearly a dozen companies under the corporate umbrella of Spectacor that spanned into every avenue of arena and stadium management, entertainment, and food services. He also assisted in the formation of Comcast SportsNet and Spectra.

His passion in later years was the formation of the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation.

Snider’s business acumen was carved out as young man growing up as the son of a grocer watching his father turn a small store into a chain of supermarkets.

“You might knock him down but he gets right back up,” Scott said. “He's a scraper, he's a fighter. Takes a lot of initiative. Again, we talked about his entrepreneurial spirit. That's a big part of his personality. Again, a risk-taker, a business guy, a forward-thinker, and just fun to be around.”

Snider’s initial enterprise was buying a record company, then flipping it, using its profits to gain entry into the sports world with Jerry Wolman and the Eagles in 1963.

Within three years, after an acrimonious parting with Wolman, Snider landed an NHL franchise in Philadelphia as part of the league’s expansion from six to 12 teams for the 1967-68 season.

Within seven years, his Philadelphia Flyers became the first expansion club to win a Stanley Cup (1974). Then they won it again the following year.

Hockey fans of subsequent generations who weren’t around at the beginning often think of the Flyers as an Original Six franchise, given their remarkable financial and marketing success. Snider’s teams won two Cups in eight Final appearances.

Snider, who never put a cap on expenses until the NHL did so, was proud that his franchise stood among the NHL’s elite in all-time winning percentage. Heading into this season, Montreal had a league-leading all-time winning percentage of .591 as of Oct. 15. The Flyers were second at .577.

Despite acquiring the best free agents in hockey and trading for older, established players — albeit often at the expense of mortgaging the franchise’s minor league and development system by trading away prospects and draft picks — the Flyers have yet to win a third Cup.

Snider routinely outspent others in search of another Cup as the Flyers were among the top revenue producers for the league along with Toronto and the New York Rangers for generations.

Snider later conceded that philosophy hurt the club and embraced the vision of current general manager Ron Hextall on drafting, developing and exercising patience with youth.

“Mr. Snider never told us we couldn’t spend money to win,” Bob Clarke once said. “He only wanted to know how we were spending it.”

That was something that long-time hockey executive Paul Holmgren found out first hand when he made the transition a few years ago from the hockey side to the business side as club president.

“He lets the hockey guys do their thing,” Holmgren said. “He'll question you. He might disagree with you. He might ask you some real tough questions, ‘What do you mean by that?’

“ ‘What do you mean so-and-so is not doing this, or we can't do that. Why not?’ Then you get in a big debate with him about this. He's very good, and he listens well. He asks great questions.”

Snider was always referred to as “Mister” by former players and employees, including Clarke. He commanded that much respect.

“Ed hated to be called Mr. Snider,” said Phil Weinberg, executive vice president and general counsel for Comcast Spectacor. Ed was always one of us. He always wanted to be one of the group, one of the team. He was Ed.

“Every time somebody would call him Mr. Snider he would say, ‘Call me Ed,’ or, ‘I hate that. He might not say that to them, but when the conversation was over he would turn to the person he was with and say, ‘I hate that.’”

As a young man, Snider never attended a hockey game in person.

Actually, he saw a lot more of coach Red Auerbach, the future general manager of the Boston Celtics.

“It was very sporadic in Washington, D.C.,” Snider recalled. “There was a small arena — Uline Arena — there and hockey wasn’t very popular. It was at a low level. I used to watch Red Auerbach coach the Washington Capitols basketball team at that same Uline Arena.”

One day, a friend took Snider to see the Canadiens at the original Madison Square Garden.

“It blew me away,” Snider said. “I thought it was the greatest spectator sport I had ever seen. To me, I have never lost my enthusiasm for the game. And I think the sport is better now than it has ever been.”

Snider built the Flyers and the building they would play in — the Spectrum.

It became known as “America’s Showplace,” and was quickly copied. That led to Snider’s creation of Spectacor Management Group in 1980. Five years later, Snider hired Luukko, who was overseeing arena properties in New England.

The two would create six new companies in the decades ahead, in addition to developing and acquiring other companies that would define the Spectacor brand and later facilitate the Comcast Spectacor merger of 1996.

“What was most unique about his leadership style was his ability to bring his team in and listen to what people said, take advice and process all the information that was given to him while still being the lightening rod and the driving force behind what it was that he was trying to do,” Weinberg said.

“Ed was a visionary no question, but that was not only a gift, it was a very studied accomplishment as well. Ed knew exactly who he was and gave a great of thought to how he would get from point A to B. He was very blessed to be able to combine that study and thought with a gift that was unquestionable.”

It remains to be seen how the Flyers and Comcast Spectacor move forward without Snider.

“As I look at the company Ed Snider built, it's always been forward-looking, leaning in,” Scott said. “Always focused on growth.

“I don't see that changing. I think it's embedded in our culture now. It's part of our DNA and will continue on the mission that Ed started.”

Snider, who was married four times, is survived by his wife, Lin and five children — Jay, Lindy, Craig, Tina, Sarena and Samuel — and 15 grandchildren.

Snider and Comcast had a strong 20-year partnership. Comcast is the parent company of NBC10.

You can share your memories of Snider and his legacy in the comment section below.

Police in Montgomery are investigating whether a drug overdose was responsible for the death of a college student over the weekend.

West Conshohocken Borough Police officers responded to the Moorehead Avenue near Elizabeth Street Sunday to find a 22-year-old man unresponsive on the living room coach, said police.

Officer administered anti-overdose drug nalaxone and performed CPR but the man didn’t respond and medics announced him dead on the scene.

The cause of death of the man, who was a Cabrini College student, was pending autopsy and toxicology results from the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office, said police.

The student wasn’t immediately identified, Cabrini however acknowledged the death.

"We are saddened by the news, and our thoughts are with the student's family as we focus on supporting our community through this loss," said a statement from the college.

NBC10 is hosting a community forum Tuesday, April 12 on the heroin epidemic. Combating the Heroin Epidemic: A Forum for Change will be presented LIVE on NBC10.com at 2 p.m. and feature National Drug Control Policy Director Michael Botticelli. Learn more here.

Philadelphia Police determined reports of an abduction last week were unfounded.

On Friday, April 8, around 8:45 a.m., police responded to a reported abduction on 900 West Luzerne Street. When they arrived they were met by witnesses who claimed they saw a man force a woman into a green car that fled west on Luzerne Street.

A witness told investigators she heard the woman scream, 'get away from me, I'm not going with you.' She also said she heard the man scream at the woman.

The woman was crying and got into the car but then left the vehicle and began walking away as the man walked to the driver's side, according to the witness. The witness said the man then followed her and after a physical confrontation, forced the woman into the vehicle and fled.

Police investigated the incident and even released surveillance photos of the man and woman. They later identified both of them however and determined the woman was not hurt or taken against her will. No charges will be filed in the incident. 

An afternoon full of activities is on tap as the Phillies return to Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia. And, NBC10 has you covered with a one-hour special "Welcome Home Phillies" live from the ballpark prior to the Phillies taking on the San Diego Padres.

The festivities at the ballpark begin at noon with a block party on Citizens Bank Park Way featuring live music and a Ferris wheel. The block party is open to the public and you won’t need a ticket to take part in it.

For those who do have tickets to the game, gates open at 12:35 p.m. and each fan will receive a free Opening Day commemorative Phillies cap. The Phillies will then enter the park from center Field, giving fans the chance to see the players up close before they take the field.

Before the baseball game begins, Philadelphia Police Officer Jesse Hartnett, who was injured in an ambush, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch around 3 p.m.

Click here for full Opening Day festivities. And be part of it (even without a ticket) by tuning into NBC10.

A New Jersey Man has been identified and charged in an attempted luring and child endangerment incident. 

Brian M. Ayers of Roebling, New Jersey, was arrested after police investigated an incident that occurred at a Wawa in Cherry Hill.

Police say two girls were at the Wawa when they noticed Ayers watching them. They explained to police they were uncomfortable with his presence and waited for him to leave before making their purchases.

They then proceeded to walk about a mile away from the Wawa, in the South Lincoln and Garfield Avenue area, when Ayers allegedly pulled alongside the curb and offered them a ride home. Investigators say both girls ran from Ayers and told an adult, who alerted police.

Police say anonymous tips led them to Ayers.

Ayers, 56, is charged with second degree attempted child luring and third degree child endangerment. He was arrested without incident and was placed in Camden County Jail. 

Friends and family are mourning a University of Pennsylvania student who was struck and killed by a SEPTA train Monday morning.

Officials say Ao "Olivia" Kong, 21, was struck by an eastbound Market-Frankford Line subway at the 40th Street Station along Market Street in West Philadelphia around 7 a.m.

Kong did not appear to be pushed nor did it appear she fell onto the tracks, said SEPTA. Police told NBC10 they believe she jumped onto the tracks. The train came to a screeching halt after she was struck.

"The conductor told everyone to move to the front of the train... we heard someone say 'I couldn't stop fast enough," said passenger Anthony Davis.

Davis said he also overheard workers saying their was a body under the train. Kong later died from her injuries.

Kong grew up in Philadelphia and graduated from Central High School before attending the University of Pennsylvania. She was a Finance concentrator in the Wharton School's Cohort Peso. She was also a member of the Phi Gamma Nu business fraternity and the Alpha Phi Omega co-ed service fraternity. She was set to graduate in 2017.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Olivia's family and friends," wrote Wharton's Vice Dean Lori Rosenkopf. "A gathering of sharing and support will take place today at 5 p.m. in Huntsman Hall Room 250." 

Students are encouraged to call Penn's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at 215-898-7021, Wharton Undergraduate Division Advising at 215-898-7608, the University Chaplain's Office at 215-898-8456 or the Student Health Service at 215-746-3535.

SEPTA service was delayed for nearly three hours after the incident but later resumed to normal operations.

SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: The National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

After receiving a hero’s welcome, a Philadelphia Police officer praised for chasing down a gunman who ambushed him three months ago threw out the first pitch during the Phillies home opener Monday and then proposed to his girlfriend.

The crowd cheered as Officer Jesse Hartnett walked to the mound and threw out the first pitch at Citizens Bank Park around 3 p.m. Monday, before the Phillies took the field to face the San Diego Padres. Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz shook Hartnett’s hand and the two posed for a picture. The Phillie Phanatic gave Hartnett a high-five and posed for a photo with him as well.

Hartnett’s moment in front of the crowd didn’t end there. As his girlfriend greeted him on the field, Hartnett pulled a ring out of his sling, bent down on one knee and proposed to her. Much to the delight of Hartnett and the crowd, she said yes. The two embraced and kissed as the fans cheered.

Hartnett, 33, spent two weeks in the hospital after he was shot three times in the arm during an ambush attack in January. Edward Archer, 30, faces attempted murder and other charges in the ambush-style shooting. Archer's attorney said he may have mental health problems.

Despite being shot, Hartnett returned fire and helped capture Archer, police said.