Caught on tape

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The offenders nor the victims may not have been identified in a shooting on the 1900 block of South Sixth Street Sunday, but police responded to a call of shots fired at 11:17 p.m. and, by the time they arrived, those involved were gone, leaving behind only ballistics evidence, Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detective Division said.

Nearby video surveillance showed a gray sedan with tinted windows drive passed Woods Chinese on Sixth before circling the block, turning back on to Sixth and stopping in the middle of the block as a man in a dark blue hoody and flannel shirt left the store. The passenger of the possibly Ford Taurus or Mercury Sable got out of the vehicle and fired at the man before taking off, Tolliver said.

The victim hopped into the driver’s side of a silver sedan and took off in the same direction as the shooter.

To report information, call South Detectives at 215-686-3013. 

Two charged with assault

A man who returned to his former Point Breeze residence for his belongings New Year’s Eve wound up charged with assaulting and threatening his ex-housemate.

Damon Covington, 22, of Brewerytown, knocked multiple times on the door of a residence on the 1900 block of Reed Street at 8 p.m., Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detective Division said. The 48-year-old victim answered and Covington allegedly pistol-whipped him, causing a bloodshot and swollen left eye. Covington returned to a white Acura parked on Reed driven by Khalil Turner, 18, of Newark, Del., and allegedly placed the weapon in its trunk, Tolliver said. At that time, the victim allegedly threw a frying pan at the car, smashing its front windshield, Tolliver said.

“I should shoot you,” Covington is believed to have said.

“We going to kill you now. You broke my mom’s window,” Turner allegedly added, but both men got in the car and drove away.

Police later saw the two exit the vehicle and enter Covington’s home on the 1700 block of North Natrona Street, where they were arrested, Tolliver said. Detectives seized the vehicle and recovered two loaded firearms, a black Taurus PT 111 9mm and a black-and-brown Deutsche Werke .32 caliber, Tolliver said.

Covington, who served time in prison for a 2007 aggravated assault, and Turner were charged with criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, firearm violations and related offenses. 

No way to start the New Year

Two South Jersey men allegedly harassed another and his girlfriend from their 2004 Jeep Cherokee before striking the former with a beer bottle and kicking him New Year’s night in the Whitman section.

As festivities continued on nearby Two Street, Douglas Smythe, 31, of Voorhees, and Eric Suhoskey, 21, of Sewell, allegedly yelled at the 21-year-old and his companion as they drove west on the 100 block of Ritner Street at 10:49 p.m., Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detective Division said.

The man told the duo to keep going, but they jumped out of their ride and Smythe allegedly bashed the man on the head with the bottle several times, knocking him to the ground, where Suhoskey allegedly kicked him, Tolliver said. Both then jumped back into the car and sped off on Ritner.

A passerby gave the tag information to police, who spotted the Jeep on the 500 block of Emily Street with the two standing nearby.

Smythe and Suhoskey were arrested about 10 minutes after the incident and charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, criminal conspiracy and recklessly endangering another person; Smythe also was charged with possession of an instrument of crime. 

Teen missing

Jason Vu, of South Philadelphia, was reported missing Christmas Eve at about 7:15 p.m. by a relative after leaving a suicide note on the family computer.

The 14-year-old was last seen leaving the house at 8 that morning by his father, Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detective Division said. Vu’s brother discovered the note, Tolliver added.

Vu was last seen wearing a black-hooded jacket and blue jeans. He is Asian, 5-foot-4, 140 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

To report information, call South Detectives at 215-686-3013. 

Sentenced for subway death

The last of the five teens who threw repeated punches at Sean Patrick Conroy, of the 1900 block of South 10th Street, at the 13th Street El station in 2008, causing his death, has been sentenced.

The five Simon Gratz High School students were charged with beating the 36-year-old, which triggered a fatal asthma attack from blunt force to his head.

Rasheem Bell, 18, from the 4700 block of Tampa Street, pled guilty to third-degree murder and criminal conspiracy and was sentenced to 11 to 23 months in jail, Monday, according to court documents.

Bell’s reduced sentence was due to cooperating with the police and testifying on behalf of the prosecution, according to published reports.

Ameer Best, 18, from the 2000 block of North 24th Street, and Nashir Fisher, 17, from the 3500 block of North Marvine Street, were found guilty of the same charges, while Kinta Stanton, 18, from the 4900 block of North Smedley Street, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and conspiracy. Those three were sentenced to 12-and-a-half to 25 years Oct. 29,

Stanton also allegedly shot a 17-year-old in the stomach April 8 while awaiting trial. He has a May 17 trial date for the charges of aggravated assault and firearm violations, among other offenses.

Arthur Alston, 18, from the 800 block of West Fisher Avenue, pled guilty to third-degree murder and criminal conspiracy and was sentenced Dec. 17 to 10 to 20 years. Alston also will serve an additional two-and-a-half to five years for an unrelated aggravated assault.

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