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Four men armed with knives, a gun and a screwdriver broke into a home on the 2100 block of South Fifth Street in Whitman early yesterday morning.
Entering at about 1:10 a.m. through a second-floor window, the perpetrators tied up the 46-year-old homeowner, then stole a gold chain worth $1,000, a Sony laptop and a T-Mobile cellphone. Police did not have values for the electronics, Officer Jill Russell of the Police Public Affairs Unit said.
The victim was roughed up, but did not require medical attention, and the offenders — described as Asian, in their mid-20s, about 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-9 and wearing hooded sweatshirts — fled on foot the same way they entered.
To report information, call South Detective Division at 215-686-3013.
Three bars raided
Three taverns near each other were the targets of a state and federal cooperative raid as part of an ongoing investigation.
Early yesterday morning, investigators from the Pennsylvania State Police, the state Attorney General’s Office and the FBI converged on Quattro Bar & Grill, Colanzi’s Café and The Broadway Theatrical Club — all at 13th Street and Moyamensing Avenue, according to published reports.
According to published reports, authorities seized a video poker machine from one of the bars and, while no arrests were made, search warrants were executed and boxes of evidence hauled off.
FBI spokesman J.J. Klaver told the Review yesterday afternoon he could not comment on the raids due to an ongoing investigation.
Cop dodges bullet
While chasing a man believed wanted for a shooting moments before, the pursued allegedly opened fire on a 17th District officer who luckily dodged the bullet.
Shakour Brown, 21, from the 1500 block of South Bambrey Street in Point Breeze, was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, several firearms violations, possession of an instrument of crime and recklessly endangering another person.
It all started at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday when the officer received information a male fitting Brown’s description was wanted for a shooting on the 2800 block of Morris Street, Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detectives said. From his cruiser, the officer spotted the suspect riding a bike on the 2400 block of Tasker Street. When Brown saw police, he allegedly ditched the bike at 25th and Tasker and dropped a firearm magazine to the ground. The cop allegedly saw Brown pick up the magazine and load it into a silver handgun, Tolliver said.
At that point, the cop exited his vehicle and ordered the man to drop the weapon. Ignoring the command, Brown allegedly ran west on Tasker through a vacant lot and into an alley between the rear of the 1500 block of South Bambrey and 1500 block of South Stillman streets. The officer began a foot chase into the alley when he heard a gunshot and felt a bullet pass, Tolliver said. Taking cover, the cop lost site of the alleged shooter.
The officer apprehend Brown coming out of his residence on South Bambrey a short time later. On the roof of the home, investigators recovered a loaded silver 9mm Taurus handgun, Tolliver said.
As for the shooting on Morris, an unoccupied car was found with bullet holes in its driver’s-side door at about 6:10 p.m., Tolliver said. At press time, Brown had not been charged in connection with the latter incident.
Peacekeeper pays the price
A young man was Maced and knifed while trying to break up a brawl between two women on the 2700 block of Tasker Street.
With a stab wound to his left shoulder, the 21-year-old went to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in stable condition after Monday’s 5:15 p.m. incident, Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detectives said.
One woman pepper-sprayed the man in the face, while the other pulled out a blade and sliced his shoulder, police said.
To report information, call South Detectives at 215-686-3013.
Clean sweep
A woman was taken into custody after she allegedly used a broom to strike her neighbor with whom she was feuding, police said.
Rosanne Tartaglini, 53, from the 1600 block of South Clarion Street in the Passyunk neighborhood, was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and possession of an instrument of crime.
Fourth District police responding to the scene arrested Tartaglini and took the 71-year-old neighbor to Methodist Hospital in stable condition, where she was treated and released.
At about 3:50 a.m. Sept. 10, the suspect and her neighbor began exchanging words when Tartaglini allegedly reached for the cleaning instrument and hit the older woman on the right side of her head, causing two large lumps on her forehead and a cut on her head, Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detectives said.
Investigators don’t know what prompted the alleged attack.
Motorist pulls gun
A war of words between a pedestrian and a driver got ugly when the latter aimed a firearm at the former.
The incident happened at about 5 p.m. Monday on the 2000 block of South Juniper Street in the Passyunk area, where the victim was crossing the street when a man in a silver Chevy Tahoe was driving north on the block at a high rate of speed, Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detectives said. The driver supposedly yelled obscenities at the 32-year-old, who lobbed some back, prompting the motorist to stop, exit his car and retrieve a gun from the trunk, police said.
The victim boldly asked if he was going to shoot him in front of other people, causing the gun-toting bully to get back in his vehicle and take off, going north on Juniper toward the 1900 block of East Passyunk Avenue.
The offender was described as black, age 30 to 40, about 6-foot-2 to 6-foot-4, about 250 pounds and wearing prescription eyeglasses and a dark suit. The Tahoe was described as a four-door, 1990s model with a Pennsylvania tag.
To report information, call South Detectives at 215-686-3013.
Indecently assaulted
Police are looking for the man who indecently assaulted an 18-year-old as she was riding the southbound subway at Broad Street and Snyder Avenue Monday afternoon.
At about 5 p.m., the man sat next to the teen and touched her inappropriately, police said.
The offender, possibly named "Richard," was described as black, about age 27, about 5-foot-7 with a dark complexion, mustache and beard; he wore a green baseball cap, green-and-blue striped shirt and blue jeans. The groper also had on a locket that contained a picture of him and a male child, police said.
To report information, call the Special Victims Unit at 215-685-3264.
Deemed arson
A man luckily escaped harm after someone threw a Molotov cocktail through his living room window on the 1200 block of South Harmony Street in Grays Ferry.
The victim was sitting on his sofa on the first floor at about 1 a.m. Sept. 14 when he heard breaking glass and spotted a small section of his carpet aflame, Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detectives said. The 48-year-old got up and saw a 40-ounce bottle fashioned into the explosive device, which he extinguished and threw into the street.
The rug sustained minor damage and the fire marshal deemed the incident arson, Tolliver said.
To report information, call South Detectives at 215-686-3013.
Rydell charged with DUI
South Philly native and 1950s and ’60s heartthrob Bobby Rydell was charged with driving under the influence and careless driving Sept. 14, nearly a month after he allegedly crashed his car into a Narberth business.
No one, including the 67-year-old originally from 11th and Porter streets, was injured in the accident that took place at about 4 p.m. Aug. 17 when the singer’s 1969 Bentley jumped a curb and hit the outer wall of Jai Yoga Studio, police said.
According to Brenda Viola, public information officer for Lower Merion Township, the singer failed a field sobriety test and was taken into custody at the scene by Lower Merion Police. Results of a toxicology test showed Robert Ridarelli’s — the singer’s given name — blood-alcohol level was 0.172, more than twice the legal driving limit of .08, Viola added.
A summons was mailed to Rydell’s home and a court date was set for Nov. 19.
