Arrest in fatal stabbing

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A domestic dispute over her common-law husband staying out late ended with the 65-year-old man allegedly being stabbed by the woman.

The victim’s name had not been released at press time pending family notification, Officer Jill Russell of the Police Public Affairs Unit said.

Deborah Lemar, 52, from the 1300 block of South Paxon Street accompanied the victim to Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital after the incident Sunday shortly after midnight; and when he died at 12:52 a.m., police charged Lemar with murder and related offenses, Russell said.

Lemar allegedly knifed the male once in the left side of his stomach during a domestic squabble inside their Kingsessing home.

Businessman killed

Homicide investigators continue to hunt for the two males spotted leaving the scene of the robbery and slaying of a store owner.

Kosai Barouki, 30, from the 6400 block of Grays Avenue was gunned down around 1:50 a.m. Sunday outside Super Wings, 2300 S. 65th St., Officer Jill Russell of the Police Public Affairs Unit said. Police responding to a report of a shooting and robbery discovered the restaurant owner on a sidewalk with several gunshot wounds to his torso. Barouki was pronounced dead at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania at 2:08 a.m. Witnesses told police two black males left the scene in a beige minivan that traveled south on 65th Street. It is unknown what, if anything, was stolen from the victim.

To report information, call the Homicide Division at 215-686-3334/5.

Doggone shame

A Pomeranian was drowned in a bathtub and his carcass prepared for consumption in what police are calling a horrific case of animal cruelty.

And a gay lovers’ spat is to blame for it all, according Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood Sr.

John Newman, 21, from 70th and Wheeler streets is being held at the Delaware County prison on $50,000 bail and is charged with burglary, theft, receiving stolen property, cruelty to animals, criminal mischief, harassment and making terroristic threats.

Nov. 1, police said Newman broke into his 25-year-old lover’s Upper Darby dwelling and stole his laptop. But that’s not the worst of it: The victim’s pet was drowned and placed in a frying pan on the living room floor with spices for cooking around it, Chitwood said.

Investigators said it was the third time in three months the victim’s apartment had been burglarized and he had also been receiving death threats.

Bad news

The operators of a newsstand in South Philly were held up at gunpoint when they returned home and exited their car on the 7300 block of Merganser Place.

Investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the 58-year-old man and his 27-year-old daughter were followed home from work when the incident occurred shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday, a report said.

Armed with a black handgun, the offender approached the woman as she exited the driver’s seat of her car and told her to give up her bag, to which she replied she had no bag. The gunman then swiped a white Dunkin’ Donuts bag containing $15,000 from a rear passenger seat, police said. Also stolen was her silver Blackberry for which police did not have a value. After the heist the bandit took off on foot south on 73rd Street towards Lindbergh Boulevard. The dad and daughter who own A & C Johnson’s News at 2340 Passyunk Ave., were unharmed in the attack. The offender was described as a black male with light complexion, cleanshaven with low-cut hair, approximately 160 pounds, 5-foot-7 and wearing a brown leather jacket and black pants.

To report information, call Southwest Detective Division at 215-686-3183.

Clueless to the max

A woman who left her car and house keys inside the ash tray of her unlocked silver Caddie returned home from a friend’s house to find the automobile valued at $14,000 missing.

The 32-year-old parked her luxury auto at 9:30 a.m. Saturday on the 6400 block of Glenmore Avenue and when she got back several hours later at 12:45 p.m., the 2006 Cadillac was nowhere to be found.

To report information, call Southwest Detectives at 215-686-3183.

High find

Two African masks seized by Customs and Border Protection officers off a cargo flight from London to Philly contained stashes of marijuana.

While conducting routine inspections on international air cargo on Sunday at Philadelphia International Airport, CBP officers discovered over 11 pounds of weed concealed in two hollowed-out wooden masks, CBP spokesman Steve Sapp said. The flight came from London and was en route to Toronto.

The rectangular wooden pieces featuring twin traditional African animal-topped masks appeared to be hollow and displayed inconsistent weight characteristics. During an X-ray examination, officers detected several brick-shaped packages inside. When they drilled into the frames, five tightly-wrapped packages of pot weighing 5,306.2 grams were discovered, the spokesman said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection routinely inspects cargo and passenger planes because smugglers will employ many creative methods to get illegal substances into the country, according to Sapp. SWR

Got a police item? Contact Staff Writer Lorraine Gennaro at lgennaro@southphillyreview.com or 215-336-2500 ext. 124.