The 18th Police District has released an alert about a crime pattern in the area that includes two gunpoint robberies, one at the Falafel restaurant near 44th and Chestnut on May 15 (read full report about it here), and the other near 44th and Ludlow on Thursday, May 19. Police believe these two robberies may be related and may be committed by the same person.

The May 19 robbery took place shortly before 6 a.m., when an unknown male approached two people, a man and a woman, siting on the porch on the 4400 block of Ludlow St., pointed a silver handgun at them and told them to “give him everything.” He then forced the pair to stand up and patted them down, according to the report. He left on foot with one of the victim’s backpack containing various electronics, documents and prescription medications. He also took the victims’ cell phones, according to the report. 

The suspect in this robbery is described as a black male, late 20’s to early 30’s, from six feet two inches to six feet four inches, with unkempt hair and a goatee or a beard. He was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and dark pants. He was armed with a silver revolver with a long barrel. The suspect in the May 15 robbery of the Falafel restaurant was described as six feet four inches tall and armed with a silver long-barrel revolver.

Police are asking to forward any information about these crimes or the suspect to Detective Kathryn Gordon at Southwest Detective Division, Special Investigations Unit. She can be reached by phone (215.476.1131) or email (Kathryn.Gordon@phila.gov).