Police are looking for three men between 18 and 20 years old who they say have been involved in at least four robberies in West Philly over the last two weeks. The first robbery took place on Feb. 8 near 38th and Baring in Mantua, according to police, when the suspects robbed a pizza delivery man at gunpoint. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken in that robbery. Police say the same three men used a gun to rob a 27-year-old woman near her apartment entrance at 44th and Pine on Feb. 12. They reportedly took the woman’s phone and purse.

The third robbery took place in Powelton Village, near 31st and Hamilton on Sunday, when the men robbed a 20-year-old woman, also at gunpoint, near her apartment, according to police.

The latest robbery happened on Monday, Feb. 16, when the suspects responded to a Craigslist ad by a person who was selling a paintball gun. The seller brought the paintball gun to a location near 41st and Spring Garden where he was robbed at gunpoint by the same three men, according to police. They reportedly took the man’s laptop and cell phone.  Continue Reading

Philippe Holland

The 20-year-old pizza deliveryman who was shot several times last April by plain-clothes cops who thought he was trying to run them over near 51st and Willows in the Cedar Park neighborhood is suing the city.

The officers reportedly approached Philippe Holland, who had just finished a delivery, on the sidewalk with their guns drawn. They were searching for a suspect in an earlier shooting. Holland contends that 18th District officers Mitchell Farrell and Kevin Hanvey approached him as he was getting into his car and that he thought they were robbers. Farrell and Hanvey opened fire as he tried to drive away. Holland was struck in the head, neck and leg.

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey apologized to Holland soon after the shooting. West Philly residents raised money for Holland’s medical expenses and more than 100 signed a petition asking that the results of the investigation be made public. It was hoped that the shooting might prompt more transparency in police shootings, which spiked in 2012 and prompted Ramsey to request a federal review of the department.

One result has been the posting of some information from officer-involved shootings online.

Here is what the posting on that site says about the Holland case:

PS#14-15

04/22/14 On Tuesday, April 22, 2014, at approximately 9:56 P.M., two on-duty officers in an unmarked vehicle and in civilian attire heard gunshots in the area of 51st street and Baltimore Avenue. While surveying the area, the officers observed a male walking south on 51st street toward Willows Avenue, with his hands inside his pockets. The officers identified themselves as police officers and ordered the male to stop. The offender opened and entered the front passenger door of a Ford Taurus that was parked in the 5100 block of Willows Avenue. The offender positioned himself in the driver’s seat and drove the vehicle initially in reverse, and then forward toward the officers. In response, both officers discharged their firearms, striking the offender. The offender was transported to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for treatment. There were no other injuries as a result of this incident. No weapon was recovered.

– Mike Lyons

Police are investigating an armed robbery that took place on Sunday, Feb. 8 at approximately 7:50 p.m. on the 4100 block of Pine Street. The victim, a 23-year-old woman, told police that she was walking east on Pine Street when she heard a vehicle stop. She then felt a push from behind, and an unknown young male demanded that she empty her pockets. The woman told police that the man was armed with a small black revolver which he pointed at her head. She gave him her cell phone, and the man got back into his car, a dark colored vehicle, and fled.

No injuries were reported in this incident.

There was another robbery on the 4100 block of Pine less than two weeks ago, on January 31, at approximately 2:30 p.m. There was no weapon involved in that robbery, according to police. More details are currently not available.

A neighbor reports that someone recently stole a license plate from her car parked near 44th and Pine. She didn’t notice until cops pulled her over the next day. Here’s what she wrote us:

“I’m not sure if this is happening elsewhere around the neighborhood, but my license plate was stolen off my vehicle [Tuesday] night (after 7 pm), while parked on the 4400 block of Pine. I found out when I was pulled over this morning, and had to visit the station to make a police report, and now get a new plate. It’s not a huge expense, but definitely a hassle just the same…”

This type of theft used to be really popular, but not so much anymore, according to police.

And here’s an example of why plates get stolen (from a Facebook post by one of our readers):

Police say that the U.S. Marshals and Philadelphia law enforcement officers have apprehended a 49-year-old man they say robbed several West Philadelphia businesses, including several Rite Aid stores and the McDonald’s at 52nd and Chestnut.

Cartel Wright was arrested at about 2 a.m. on Friday on the 2100 block of College Avenue in North Philadelphia after a struggle with Marshals.

Police say Wright’s crime spree began in late September when he robbed a Rite Aid on City Avenue. Wright is a suspect in the following robberies:

• September 30, 2014, at 5:18 a.m., Rite Aid located at 5000 block, City Avenue
• December 18, 2014, at 2:00 a.m., Rite Aid located at 5000 block, City Avenue
• December 18, 2014, at 7:20 p.m., Rite Aid located at 5200 block, Baltimore Avenue
• December 27, 2014, at 5:25 a.m., Rite Aid located at 5000 block, City Avenue
• December 28, 2014, at 9:50 p.m., CVS located at 7500 block, City Avenue
• January 1, 2015, at 4:35 p.m., Family Dollar located at 5800 block, Woodland Avenue
• January 11, 2015, at 3:45 p.m., Rite Aid located at 5440 Lansdowne Avenue. The suspect then carjacks a 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser from the parking lot after leaving the Rite Aid. The vehicle was later recovered on the 1400 block of North 56th Street.
• January 11, 2015, 5:25 p.m., McDonald’s located at 7500 City Avenue
• January 12, 2015, at 5:30 a.m., McDonald’s located at 5200 Chestnut Street

– Mike Lyons

A 29-year-old woman was robbed at gunpoint by two or three males on the 4900 block of Spruce Street Friday night, according to police. The robbery happened at around 8:15 p.m. The men took the woman’s phone, according to police. The woman was not injured. Police say that later they arrested two suspects near 50th and Larchwood and recovered the stolen items and a BB gun.