A 13-year-old boy was arrested Wednesday for his involvement in attempted armed robberies in the area of Chestnut Street between 46th and 47th. Police said the boy tried to rob five people, one person on Monday and four on Tuesday.
Here’s a recap:
Monday, July 30, 9:55 p.m., 46th and Chestnut
A 23-year-old woman was approached by the suspect riding a bicycle. He stopped next to her and told her to give him everything she got. The woman refused and started to walk off. Then the male pointed a handgun at her and again demanded her belongings. The woman, who was carrying a Mac Book Pro and an iPhone4, began yelling for help and then ran east on Chestnut St. While running she fell and suffered multiple cuts to her legs. She was able to run home where she called 911. Nothing was taken.
Tuesday, July 31, 10:26 a.m., Farragut and Market
A 24-year-old man was walking north on Farragut St. toward the El when the suspect approached him and asked him what time it was. The man looked at his phone and told the suspect it was 10:26 a.m. and continued walking. The suspect followed him and was now holding a gun. He told the victim to give him all his money. The victim said he didn’t have any. The suspect walked away. Nothing was taken and no injuries were reported.
Tuesday, 3:10 p.m., 46th and Market
A 22-year-old woman was approached from behind by the suspect who produced a black gun at her and said “Give me the money.” The woman turned and ran away before anything could be taken.
Tuesday, 3:15 p.m., 47th and Chestnut
A 30-year-old woman was pumping gas when the suspect approached and asked if he could pump her gas. When the woman said “No” the suspect opened her door and tried to take her purse. He also pointed a gun at her and then fled north on 46th St. Nothing was taken.
Police arrested the 13-year-old robbery suspect in a deli at Farragut and Chestnut Streets after a tip received the previous night.
“No matter how much experience you have as a detective, it’s still strange to hear a kid who just turned 13 years old confessing to gunpoint robberies, you know?” Philly.com quotes Joe Murray of Southwest Detectives.
August 2nd, 2012 at 3:49 pm
JESUS! Did they get the kid’s gun too. Was it loaded?
August 2nd, 2012 at 4:25 pm
I am 99% sure that my husband and I were approached by this kid and his three friends on Monday evening, shortly before the first robbery. We were walking at 46th/Walnut and four kids, around 12-13 years of age, came up to us and one of them asked if my husband had the time. We think that the fact that my husband pulled out his insulin pump to read the time, and not a fancy smart phone, may have been what spared us. Or maybe the kid was just building confidence, who knows. When I heard what happened via Joe Murray and twitter the next morning, I knew it couldn’t have been a coincidence. And the kid was arrested with three friends, as it turned out.
August 2nd, 2012 at 6:17 pm
Supposedly that gun was a bb gun, but it has yet to be recovered.
August 2nd, 2012 at 8:51 pm
What is it with these idiots? Do they *want* to go to prison?
August 2nd, 2012 at 11:05 pm
he asked to pump my gas at the sunoco tuesday morning just after 10. i told him i liked doing it myself and he walked over to an older woman who he was standing with for quite some time.
August 3rd, 2012 at 12:19 am
Chase, how do you know it was him? A kid (probably about 13) asked to pump my gas at the BP at 57th and Chestnut on Saturday, I don’t think there are any indications its the same kid.
Also, LOL this kid sucks at robbing people.
August 3rd, 2012 at 7:05 am
Did anyone read the Philly.com article!? This kid started his crime career at 11, and his brother is in custody as a shooting suspect. Where are his parents? Also, it’s obvious this kid has some mental issues and should be counseled, I don’t think another trip to juvie will do much for him, especially if he is so comfortable in jail that he is napping away peacefully. I’m sad that there’s a good chance he won’t get the help he probably needs mentally and may end up with the same fate as his brother (jail not murder… I hope.)
August 3rd, 2012 at 9:38 am
Hello. I’m posting here, though the comment isn’t completely related to the article – just general safety/crime. Wednesday, at about 10:45 pm my brother-in-law and myself were attacked by a group of you (12-15 kids, very young teens to late teens)at 49th and Baltimore. We were jumped just walking down the sidewalk. Also, a friend who lives at 56th and Pentridge told me that a group of about 50 kids, also very young, had congregated outside her home and acting wild and violent, throwing glass bottles at people and such. I know it seems bad to me in particular because something just happened to me, but it does seem pretty crazy now.
August 3rd, 2012 at 9:48 am
Sorry, I meant 56th and Pemberton.
August 3rd, 2012 at 9:49 am
Jesus, that’s scary. Corey, are you and your brother-in-law OK? Did they take anything from you?
It seems like there’s been an uptick in crime lately in the area, especially with young adults. Sucks when you can’t feel safe walking in your own neighborhood.
August 3rd, 2012 at 10:05 am
Hi Stacey. I’ve just got a lot of road burns from being knocked down. My BIL is fine. We got away before there was an opportunity to rob us. They were kids, not young adults. Thanks for the concern.
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:23 am
Thomas:
this is the only article I found; can you provide the one you referenced?
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20120731_People_Paper_reporter_among_group_targeted_by_armed_junior_thug.html
I believe the “earning street cred” argument.
On Tues. around 5 p.m. @ 46th & Larchwood, my daughters & I witnessed a few police officers interrogating a group of 3 (or maybe 4) boys – some looked no more than 9 or 10 y.o. – then handcuffed & carted them off in the cop car.
Such a sad, maddening situation…
Stay vigilant out there, everyone.
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:43 am
Corey, could you please report this to the police? The curfew laws are not being enforced at Cedar Park and could be contributing to this problem.
August 3rd, 2012 at 1:15 pm
I did report to police. I don’t know what else was happening that night, but response time was 3 hours. The officer who responded was kind and professional, but disappointing none the less.
August 3rd, 2012 at 6:32 pm
I just read the linked article. Do they really think this kid hasn’t gotten the message already?
“‘Excitable boy,’ they all said.” — Warren Zevon.
August 4th, 2012 at 1:25 am
Sucks. These kids need a good parent at home, not Juvie. Unfortunately, this is going to be another boy raised by the system… Thank his mother when you see her. She’s doing a bang up job.
As for Cedar Park… Miscreants, vagrants, and drunks. You can’t bring a kid there in broad day light without bumping into a sad 40 something year old whose been hitting the bottle since 6am. Good thing the UCD clowns are out there… Oh wait, they don’t actually do anything. Clean Cedar Park up. Clean it now, the citizens demand it!
August 4th, 2012 at 1:39 am
Billy, I assumed it was him because of other people making that same claim. It also occured minutes before the reported incident at the same location.
August 4th, 2012 at 1:43 am
Can we just change the name of this website to University City Local already? We aren’t representing “west philly”, we are only representing white west philly. That’s kind of fucked up.
Just sayin’
August 4th, 2012 at 9:08 pm
@BF We don’t claim to “represent” anyone. We provide information and a place for people to interact. People of lots of different creeds, races and religions visit the site. The great thing about the Internet is that anyone at any time can start a site. You could start one that represents whomever you like.
August 4th, 2012 at 9:37 pm
@BeaverFever, I agree. I live in West Philly outside of University City and I never read anything relevant to my area and earlier this year, when another West Philly school received a Recyclebank grant that my child’s school received as well we were not included even after I emailed the site. Although the site may not “represent” anyone particular the name is misleading.
August 5th, 2012 at 8:00 pm
A search of this domain pulls up nothing for Recyclebank. I don’t think any of the Recyclebank schools got press here. Are you sure you’re mad at the right site?
August 6th, 2012 at 1:27 pm
@BeaverFever & BeeMore Please check our About page.
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