Whitman man killed

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A Whitman resident was killed by a single bullet to the back Sunday.

Tresvohn Watson, 20, of the 400 block of Ritner Street, was hit by the gunfire at 4:24 p.m. on the 1700 block of South Orianna Street, Police Public Affairs Officer Jill Russell said. He was transported to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:07 p.m.

The motive is unknown and no arrests had been made as of press time, Russell said.

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

Ten shots fired

A man was greeted by his nickname and shot en route to the Snyder Avenue subway stop last week.

The 30-year-old was headed toward the Broad Street Line after leaving a house on the 1900 block of Beechwood Street at 6:09 p.m. March 8, Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detective Division said. While he headed south on Dorrance Street, a man and two women walked passed him and one female said “hello” using his nickname.

The victim said “hello” back, but after taking six steps, he heard two gunshots ring out behind him, Tolliver said. He turned around and heard a third shot — this one striking him — so he crouched between two cars as seven more bullets filled the air before he was able to escape, going south on Dorrance. He flagged down police on Snyder, who transported him to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

The bullet was removed from the left side of his chest at the hospital and he was released, Tolliver said.

The man was described as black, 5 foot-9, thin and wearing an Army-green hoody. One female was described as black, age 20, 5-foot, 160 to 170 pounds with a dark complexion, dark hair and wearing blue sweatpants. There was no description for the second woman.

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

Robber on the run

After a gas station clerk denied a man’s attempts to rob the store of its money, the suspect fled.

At 12:53 a.m. Monday, a man entered Exxon, 80 Oregon Ave., and approached the 38-year-old behind the counter, Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detective Division said. With a hand inside his jacket making it appear like he had a gun, the suspect placed a note on the counter that read, “Give me all the money or I’ll kill u,” adding aloud, “Give me the money.” The employee denied the request, replying, “I’m not giving you nothing” before walking away to call police.

The man then fled the store, running southbound through the parking lot, Tolliver said. He was described as white, age 22 or 23, 5-foot-9, 200 pounds with a light mustache and beard. Video surveillance depicted him as wearing a yellow brimmed cap, a dark-and-light blue three-quarters-length nylon hooded jacket, light blue jeans and white sneakers.

Fingerprints were found on the note, but no identification had been made by press time Tolliver added.

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

Couple carjacked

While a man was jumped for his keys, his girlfriend was pulled from the vehicle a carjacking duo had their eye on early Saturday morning.

The 25-year-old man and his 18-year-old girlfriend parked his black 2003 Chevrolet Suburban on the 400 block of Watkins Street at about 3:50 a.m., Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detective Division said. He exited his car and walked to a nearby house as his girlfriend collected her things from the vehicle.

Before reaching the door, a man walked toward him from Fifth Street, pointed a black revolver at his head, and demanded his keys. He also took his cell phone, Tolliver said.

Meanwhile, another man came up to the girlfriend, physically removed her from the vehicle and took her cell phone before getting the keys from his accomplice and entering the car.

The duo drove off in the Chevrolet, going west on Watkins toward Sixth Street, Tolliver said. The couple also heard a gunshot come from the vehicle as it approached Fifth and Watkins.

No one was injured in the carjacking.

The car had dark-tinted windows, 28-inch chrome rims with black inserts and high-intensity discharge blue-tinted headlights.

The suspects were described as Hispanic, ages 21 to 25, 5-foot-10 and wearing black hoodies; the first was 165 pounds, with short, curly hair, while the second was described as stocky.

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

Communication breakdown

A man was arrested Sunday following a first-time meeting with a woman he talked to online — and who he allegedly eventually mugged when she refused to answer his explicit queries.

The 21-year-old met a man she knew as “Caiseem” at 11:38 p.m. March 1 near Broad and Mifflin streets, Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detective Division said. The two, who had been communicating via the telephone and Internet for six months, were walking north when, on the 1400 block of South Carlisle Street, “Caiseem” allegedly asked her personal and explicit questions. Refusing to answer, he allegedly pushed her and grabbed her purse that contained identification, a credit card and an ACCESS card before fleeing west on Reed Street, Tolliver said.

Detectives discovered “Caiseem’s” identity to be that of Christian Cromwell, 21, of the 1300 block of South Hicks Street, and the 21-year-old picked him out of a photo array as the man who allegedly robbed her, Tolliver said.

Cromwell was arrested at 5:55 a.m. Sunday at his home and was charged with robbery, theft, criminal conspiracy and related offenses. He was previously found guilty of driving under the influence and possession of marijuana in 2007 and pled guilty to a simple assault that same year, according to court documents.

Arnao’s husband charged with obstruction

Mitchell Rubin, former Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission chairman, was charged with obstruction of justice March 10 in connection to former state Sen. Vincent Fumo, who is serving 55 months in federal prison for defrauding the Senate, the Independence Seaport Museum and Citizens’ Alliance for Better Neighborhoods. Rubin is married to Fumo codefendant Ruth Arnao, the former head of Citizens’ Alliance, who was convicted of 45 counts of defrauding the nonprofit, as well as obstruction of justice and filing a false tax return. She is serving a sentence of one year and a day.

If convicted, Rubin faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Rubin owned B&R Professional Services, which was awarded a $30,000 annual contract from Senate funds from Oct. 1, 1999, to Sept. 30, 2004, according to court documents. The company was to provide “professional services to the Democratic Appropriations Committee to include, but not limited to research, analysis and make recommendations on legislative matters [and] assist on constituent services,” according to court documents. Fumo was the ranking Democratic member of the committee and served from 1984 to ’07.

During the investigation into Fumo, federal investigators worked to determine if the funds generated by the contract were legitimately related to Senate business or if they were an improper use of Senate funds.

March 23, ’06, investigators interviewed Rubin and reviewed his company, and Rubin allegedly withheld facts or untruthfully answered questions regarding the terms of the contract, his relationship with Fumo and the actual work performed under the contract.

Still looking for answers

Saturday will mark 16 years since Nina Garcia’s son disappeared, but she still has hope someone will provide the clue that will lead investigators to him and bring her closure.

March 20, 1994, Anthony Garcia, then 21, played basketball with some friends at the D. Newlin Fell Elementary schoolyard, Ninth Street and Oregon Avenue. After dropping off a friend at Ninth and Porter streets at about 3:30 p.m., the resident of the 2800 block of South Franklin Street was never seen again. Five days after he went missing, his 1987 Nissan 300ZX with a Pennsylvania license plate AMK6413 was recovered on the 1400 block of West Jefferson Street in North Philly.

The last time Nina spoke to detectives was a few years ago, but they had no leads, she said.

Garcia, who will turn 38 April 2, is the oldest of nine cases on the Philadelphia Police Department’s list of Long-Term Missing Adults.

“He never even stepped away without calling home one night — not one night,” Nina said Monday of her son.

At the time of his disappearance, Garcia was described as white, 5-foot-8, 147 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

To report information, call the Missing Persons Unit at 215-685-3257 or visit www.ppdonline.org/det/det_adult_tipform.php. SPR

Contact Staff Writer Amanda Snyder at asnyder@southphillyreview.com or ext. 117.

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