A young man who allegedly used a broken bottle to stab three others inside a nightclub Monday was arrested.
Gustivo Jeronimo, 21, from the 1300 block of South Bancroft Street, was charged with three counts of aggravated and simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and possession of an instrument of crime for the incident that took place at Club Planet, 1100 Washington Ave., Detective Joe Chiaro of South Detective Division said.
The violence erupted shortly after 1 a.m. and resulted from an argument on the dance floor over the males bumping into Jeronimo, the detective said.
Of the three victims — ages 20, 22 and 23 — two were from Kensington, the other from South Philly. All were treated and released from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital with wounds to their shoulders and arms.
Five wounded in four shootings
In less than five hours Sept. 12, five people were shot in four separate incidents.
The carnage started shortly after 4 p.m. outside Morris Food Market, 28th Street near Morris Street, when two teens on bikes started shooting, Detective Joe Chiaro of South Detective said. The perpetrators escaped harmed, but a stray bullet struck a 35-year-old female cashier’s back inside the market, Chiaro said. The woman was treated and released from Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. One .380-caliber shell was recovered at the scene.
Three hours later at about 7:15 p.m. at 20th Street and Snyder Avenue, another shooting left an 18-year-old in critical condition and his 16-year-old friend stable.
The pals were sitting on their bikes when two males wearing all black fired at least a half-dozen bullets at them — the older teen taking one to his stomach while the younger was hit in the lower right leg, the detective said. Both went to HUP and investigators recovered two 9mm fired shells at the scene.
The day’s bloodshed continued at 9 p.m. on the 900 block of South 18th Street near Montrose Street where a 19-year-old was shot in the left arm and left buttock, Chiaro said. The victim and a 16-year-old female friend were standing on the block when a man the victim knew approached and opened fire, Chiaro said. The teens ducked inside the older one’s house on the block, where a 57-year-old female was sitting on a coach and missed being struck by two more bullets fired through the door. The 16- and 57-year-old escaped harm and the 19-year-old went to Jefferson Hospital in stable condition. Police recovered one projectile from inside the home.
The final shooting happened shortly before 10 p.m. 13 blocks east of the last incident at Fifth and Montrose streets. Police responding to a report of gunfire discovered an unconscious man lying in a pool of blood with a gun and drugs near him, Chiaro said.
More than 30 shell casings were found at the scene, including 17 Uzi-caliber, nine .45-caliber and six .380-caliber.
The 21-year-old victim was admitted into surgery in critical condition at Methodist Hospital for gunshots to his torso, back and thighs. Because of his condition, detectives have been unable to interview him and don’t know if the narcotics and gun belonged to him or the shooters, Chiaro said.
Thirteen packets of crack cocaine and 11 packs of heroin were found in a clear plastic bag at the scene, along with a 357 Ruger handgun.
Police do not have descriptions of the perpetrators in any of the shootings, nor do they have a motive or suspects; and Chiaro could not say for sure if any of the incidents are related.
To report information, call South Detectives at 215-686-3013.
Bullet hits the bone
A 16-year-old suffered a broken tibia after taking a bullet to the lower left leg at about 7:15 p.m. Saturday on the 2100 block of Earp Street.
The teen was standing at Point Breeze Avenue and Earp when he heard a gunshot and felt pain, Detective Joe Chiaro of South Detective said.
The victim ran to his uncle’s house nearby and was taken to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where he was admitted in stable condition.
The teen told police he didn’t see who fired the round.
To report information, call South Detectives at 215-686-3013.
High-priced scam
A former administrative clerk for Albert Einstein Medical Center in North Philly has been charged with dozens of counts of identity theft after police recovered more than $10,000 in designer clothing and accessories from her dwelling on the 1800 block of Mifflin Street.
Police held a press conference 3 p.m. Monday to announce the arrest of 27-year-old Samia Morse. Police were alerted to Morse by a savvy sales associate from Neiman Marcus, where there was a discrepancy in a transaction.
The suspect was fired from Einstein at the beginning of the year, where she worked for a little over a year and used her position to access computer files and Social Security numbers, Lt. Frank Vanore of the Police Public Affairs Unit said, adding the suspect was in possession of more than 300 files.
The victims hailed from all over the city.
Charged with attempted murder
Last Friday, a 35-year-old was nabbed and charged with three counts of attempted murder after police said he fired a gun into a neighbor’s house. About 14 9mm cartridges were recovered at the 11:20 p.m. scene on the 2200 block of South Hemberger Street, Lt. Frank Vanore of the Police Public Affairs Unit told the Review.
The incident started outside with the suspect Emmitte Madison, of the above block, arguing with a neighbor with the content of the clash still unknown, Vanore said.
As the victim walked away and inside his home, Madison followed and opened fire into the dwelling where a woman and a 7-month-old were, police said. All escaped harm.
In addition to three counts of attempted murder, Madison also was slapped with aggravated assault and firearms violations.
Three detectives working a case in the area heard numerous gunshots coming from the 2200 block of South Hemberger and observed Madison throw a 9mm Desert Eagle handgun into a pickup and attempt to flee the area in the car, according to a press release issued by South Detectives Capt. Joseph DiLacqua. Detectives stopped the suspect and recovered the firearm.
Held for trial
The preliminary hearing for a teen charged with murder in the shooting death of a 14-year-old went off as scheduled Sept. 12 after a July 25 postponement due to the suspect being beaten in his holding cell.
Municipal Court Judge James DeLeon held Charles Meyers, 18, from the 2400 block of South Darien Street, for court on charges of murder, possession of an instrument of crime and recklessly endangering another person, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Officials said Meyers fired one bullet into Tykeem Law’s chest at about 4 p.m. July 14 on the 900 block of Federal Street. The 14-year-old from Grays Ferry was riding his bike with friends when Meyers extended his right arm in front of his male passenger, firing a round from his .22-caliber handgun out the passenger-side window and into Law’s chest, Homicide Sgt. Tim Cooney told the Review after the incident. The victim, who lived with his mother on the 1600 block of Etting Street and was to start eighth grade at James Alcorn Elementary School’s Middle Years Annex, 33rd and Reed streets, died at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital at 4:40 p.m. that same day.
Man dies in fire
A 60-year-old man perished in a house fire Saturday on the 1700 block of South 10th Street. A family member identified the victim as John Funari.
Engine 53 was first on the scene at 4:16 p.m., Fire Chief Daniel Williams said. Firefighters encountered smoke on all three floors and found the victim dead in a living/dining area, the chief said. Flames broke out in the rear ground-floor kitchen of the property that did not contain smoke alarms. Twenty-seven minutes after the fire started, it was contained.
The cause of the blaze had not been determined by press time.
Rallying the troops
Hours after Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson held a press conference Friday announcing his force was getting a boost from state police, troopers hit the streets on patrol in the 17th District.
Dubbed Operation Trigger Lock, the alliance will target persons carrying weapons in high-crime neighborhoods. Police did not disclose how many troopers are helping the Highway Patrol Division or for how long the additional enforcement will last, but the deployment will spread officers throughout the city, Public Affairs Lt. Frank Vanore said.
Based out of Troop K on Belmont Avenue, the troopers will be paid overtime for their city work that is in addition to their regular shifts. The program is funded by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Calls to the Fraternal Order of Police for comment were not returned by press time, but according to published reports, President Bob Eddis denounced the move, calling for Johnson’s removal or resignation, claiming the program illustrated "incompetence in management" because the commissioner should deploy his personnel differently so outside help is not needed.
