Community members have a chance to learn more about recent gunpoint robberies in the neighborhoods of Garden Court, Cedar Park and other parts of the University City area (see more info here) and receive safety tips at an emergency follow-up meeting with the 18th Police District. The meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, Jan. 25, at 2 p.m.

The first meeting was held last Friday, but many people were not able to participate due to limited capacity. Monday’s meeting will not have a capacity limit, according to Shamssadeen Baukman, a community relations officer for the 18th District.  Continue Reading

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There has been an uptick in robberies at gunpoint and car jackings in the Cedar Park, Garden Court and Spruce Hill neighborhoods, according to police. Police have scheduled an emergency info meeting, which will be held via Zoom on Friday, Jan. 15 at 2 p.m. Robbery prevention tips will also be provided at the meeting.

To join the meeting, please go to: https://zoom.us/join and enter the meeting ID and passcode provided in the attached flyer.

The following incidents have been reported in the last seven days (Sources: Cedar Park Neighbors Forum, Spot Crime):

• 4800 block of Osage (robbery/carjacking) – January 10th

• 48th and Larchwood (robbery/carjacking) – January 9th

• 4700 block of Osage (robbery) – January 9th, 6:50 p.m.  Continue Reading

Police are investigating three gunpoint robberies that happened in Cedar Park, Garden Court and Walnut Hill neighborhoods in the past two weeks, including one at 11 a.m. and another just before 1 p.m.. One of these robberies resulted in an arrest of two suspects. Here are more details from police:

January 14, 46th and Hazel
At approximately 12:50 p.m., two people were walking on the 4600 block of Hazel Ave when they were approached by three young males. Two of them pulled out guns and announced a robbery. The suspects took cell phones from both victims and one victim’s wallet with identification, an unknown amount of cash and credit cards. The suspects then ran eastbound, and then northbound on 46th Street after the incident. The investigation is active and ongoing with Southwest Detective Division. All three suspects are described as black males 17-24 years old. Two of them were armed with small black revolvers, according to police.  Continue Reading

The University City District has issued a special crime alert for the area residents due to a high number of armed robberies reported in the western edge of the neighborhood in the past 10 days. Ten robberies with a gun have been reported since Saturday, Jan. 21, mostly occurring between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. in the areas between Chester Avenue and Pine Street and 47th and 49th.

Here are dates, times, locations and some more details for robberies reported in the past week (via Spot Crime):

− Jan. 27, 8:28 p.m. – 4800 block of Sansom St.
− Jan. 27, 9:06 p.m. – 800 block of S. 49th St.
− Jan. 28, 8:14 a.m. – 900 block of S. 46th St.
− Jan. 28, 9:11 p.m. – S. 49th St. and Springfield Ave. A wallet, iPhone, and headphones were taken in this robbery. Suspects are described as three black males 18-21 years old, wearing jackets and jeans.  Continue Reading

A gunpoint robbery of a business was reported over the weekend, a third commercial robbery in the area in the past week. A convenience store on S. 45th Street between Locust and Walnut, Philly Halal, was robbed on Saturday night, and shots were fired at the owner outside of the store when he tried to pursue the robber, according to police.

The business owner told police that an unknown male wearing a mask and armed with a handgun entered the store at 9 p.m. on Saturday and ordered the owner to get on the ground. He then went through the store and took phones, jewelry and cash, along with the owner’s wallet. Police say that the total of stolen goods exceeds $9,000.

After the robber left the store, the owner ran after him on foot north on 45th Street and then west on Walnut, where the suspect fired three shots. No injuries were reported.  Continue Reading

Police are looking for a male suspect who they say robbed a local restaurant at gunpoint on Sunday, May 15. The robbery took place shortly after midnight on Sunday when an unknown man, wearing a mask and armed with a handgun, entered the Falafel restaurant on the 4400 block of Chestnut and demanded money and phones from people inside. Police say four people were robbed inside the restaurant.

After taking cash and iPhones from the victims the suspect, described as a tall (6 feet 4 inches) black male wearing a blue jacket, gray pants and a black mask, fled toward Market Street. No one was injured in the robbery, according to police.

One cell phone was tracked by the victims to 400 Busti St. in the main driveway, however the suspect or phones were not located.  Continue Reading