Police today released surveillance video of the Green Line Cafe robbery suspect. The robbery occurred on Monday, April 30 at the Green Line cafe located at 3649 Lancaster Avenue. A man wearing a black ski mask entered the cafe, pointed a handgun at the cashier and demanded the money from the register. The suspect is seen on the video before entering the cafe without the mask and then fleeing the scene after the robbery.

This person is also a suspect in a robbery at the Green Line Cafe at 45th & Locust on April 26.

The suspect is described as a white male, in his mid 20’s, 5’9″ tall, medium build, brown hair, a thin mustache, grey hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and armed with a black, semi-automatic handgun.

If you have any information about this person, please contact the Southwest Detective Division at 215-686-3183, 215-476-1131, or 215-686-TIPS.

A masked man robbed the Green Line Cafe in Powelton at gunpoint yesterday. The robbery is the second at a Green Line in the past week.

Police said the man entered the cafe on Lancaster Avenue near 36th Street at about 4:20 p.m. and fled on foot with about $500. The man is described as white, about 5’10” and wearing a grey hoodie, philly.com reported.

Police say the description is similar to the person who robbed the Green Line at 45th and Locust on April 25. Police confirmed that a suspect was detained and later released. No arrests have been made.

(h/t Daily News)

The Green Line Cafe at 45th and Locust was robbed last night around 9:35 p.m., police said. The person working in the cafe was about to lock all of the doors and count the register. Right before locking the front door, a young man came in, pointed a black gun at the cafe worker and asked him if he wanted to get shot or to give the money up. The worker handed over the cash (approximately $1,000) and the robber ran out and fled north of 45th Street towards Walnut Street.

The robber is described as a white male, late 20s, 5’7-5’8, thin build. He was wearing a green jacket, with a black hoodie underneath, dark jeans, and a black scarf over his face.

Also Thursday night, around 9:20 p.m. there was a shooting near 49th and Baltimore, police said. A 26-year-old man was shot once in the stomach, and then ran to Cedar Park where he saw two of his friends. The victim’s friends transported him to HUP where he was listed in critical condition as of 1 a.m. No arrests were made. Police said that this shooting was not random.

We often get asked about the status of many of the criminal cases we have reported. The following post is an update of some notable crime stories that have appeared in West Philly Local. There are likely some we have overlooked. If there is one that you are particularly concerned about, leave a comment and we will follow up. All of the courtrooms mentioned are in the Criminal Justice Center, 13th and Filbert.

• Jerome Brooks

Brooks has been charged with murder and related offenses after he allegedly ran down 52-year-old Deanna Teal in early December on Chester Avenue near 49th Street. Teal was pronounced dead at the scene. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 22 in courtroom 306.

• Armen “Gooch” Terzian

Terzian, co-owner of Cafe Clave on the 4300 block of Locust Street, faces charges of ethnic intimidation, possession of an instrument of crime, terroristic threats and simple assault following an incident outside the cafe in November. The most serious charge, aggravated assault, has been withdrawn. His trial is scheduled to begin today, Jan. 4, at 10 a.m. in room 706.

• Torin Myer

Myer was arrested last May and charged with robbing Green Line Cafe locations on Locust Street and Lancaster Avenue (twice) and the Chipotle Restaurant on the 3900 block of Walnut Street. Myer, 23, pleaded guilty to several charges and on December 20 was sentenced to two-and-a-half to five years in prison and mandatory drug and alcohol treatment.

• Wesley Crawford and Raphael Zappala

Crawford and Zappala were arrested last January and accused of taking part in running a large LSD ring out of a home on the 4800 block of Florence St.

Crawford faced 15 charges related to the operation. In September he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to manufacture and deliver narcotics, a count of conspiracy to manufacture and a count of criminal use of a communication facility. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 29 in courtroom 705.

Zappala, who faced 12 charges, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to manufacture or deliver and was sentenced on Sept. 25 to one year probation.

• James Lippert and David Eisenstadt

Lippert and Eisenstadt, both 50, were arrested in late June in connection with an alleged marijuana growing operation run out of a home at 1123 S. 48th Street in June. Witnesses at the time said they saw police remove several garbage bags and planting pots from the home.

Lippert was charged with possession with intent to manufacture and deliver, possession of marijuana and two related charges. His next court appearance is a pre-trial conference scheduled for Jan. 17 in courtroom 705.

Eisenstadt faced a similar list of charges. The case against him was dismissed in November for lack of evidence.

• Amin Gibbs

Gibbs was arrested on Dec. 4 and charged with the Nov. 17 murder of 22-year-old student Zykia Sanders. Sanders was shot outside of the West Park Apartments near 45th and Market. Gibbs is scheduled to appear Feb. 19 in courtroom 306 at 9 a.m. for a preliminary hearing.

• Hakim Benson

Benson was arrested Oct. 5 and charged with a dozen gunpoint robberies in West and Southwest Philadelphia, including the Sept. 28 armed robbery of the CVS at 4849 Market St. Benson, 20, pleaded guilty on Dec. 19 to robbery and gun charges. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 22 at 8 a.m. in courtroom 705.

– Mike Lyons

Torin Myer of the 3900 block of Baring Street was apprehended early yesterday near 34th and Hamilton, a few blocks from the Drexel University campus. Police said he is not a student.

Police say Myer was exiting a convenience store and getting on a bicycle near 34th and Hamilton when Drexel University police Captain Fred Carbonara apprehended him. Myer had a BB gun, a knife, gloves and ski mask in his possession. Carbonara recognized Myer from the surveillance video made public last week.

“We had the area saturated yesterday,” said Detective Joe Murray from the Southwest Detectives.  “There was no way he was going to be able to walk around without getting caught. Just wish we had him sooner.”

Murray said Myer confessed to all four robberies.

Myer lived about four blocks from the Green Line Cafe at 3649 Lancaster Ave., which police say he robbed on April 30 and again on May 4. He is charged with robbery, assault and weapons charges in connection to those two robberies, one on April 26 at the Green Line Cafe near 45th and Locust and the May 6 robbery at the Chipotle Mexican Grill at 3925 Walnut St.

Police say Myer suffered from a “drug problem,” which in part explained his motives in the robberies.

He is scheduled to be arraigned later today.

Police have confirmed that a “person of interest” has been detained in connection with the robbery spree over the last two weeks at two Green Line Cafe locations and the Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Rumors began circulating this afternoon that police had caught the so-called “Green Line robber.”

“There is a person of interest that we are speaking with,” said Lt. John Walker of the Southwest Detectives. Another police source said that warrants will soon be issued in the case. “It’s him,” the source said.

As of 1:30 p.m. no charges had been filed.

The Green Line Cafe on Lancaster Avenue in Powelton was robbed at gunpoint twice last week and the location at 45th and Locust was robbed on April 26. Police believe the suspect in that case also robbed the Chipotle Mexican Grill at 3925 Walnut St. on Sunday night.

We will pass along more details when we get them.