The historic Woodlands Cemetery was holding a Veterans Day celebration earlier today, but this report, unfortunately, is about despicable acts that took place this week at the cemetery. The Woodlands’ executive director Jessica Baumert writes that vandalism was reported and witnessed at The Woodlands on Sunday, Nov. 9, and Tuesday, Nov. 11. Both incidents happened during the daytime, and there are reasons to believe that the same people were involved in each incident.

Police are searching for the following individuals:

White, male teenager (< 18 years), tall (± 6′), well built with a mop of black hair, pale complexion, large mouth, dark eyes, wearing a black zip-up jacket and black pants.

White (maybe Hispanic) female teenager (< 18 years), petite (< 5′ 4″) with long, straight, dark brown hair, olive complexion and dark eyes, wearing a brown (possibly leather) jacket and blue jeans.

On Sunday, there was an additional male. His description is not provided.

If you see people that fit this description on the grounds of The Woodlands, please call 911 and report it to the police immediately. Do not confront these individuals.

If you have additional information or witnessed any suspicious activity, please contact Southwest Detectives at 215-686-3183 or steven.blackwell@phila.gov

(Photo courtesy of The Woodlands)

UPDATE (10/29/14, 1:30 p.m.): The robbery suspect is in custody, according to police. He was caught thanks to a 911 call from a person who saw the stillshot from the video posted by police, showing a young man wearing a red and blue jacket.

(Tuesday, 10/28/14): A woman was mugged this morning on Windsor Ave between 48th and 49th Streets, according to various reports. The incident took place shortly before 10 a.m. An unknown man ran up behind the woman and knocked her down, according to a neighbor report. He was unarmed, according to police. The man, who was wearing a blue windbreaker with a red stripe on the hood, got away with a small amount of cash.

Police arrested an 18-year-old man early this morning following two confrontational home invasions on the 400 block of S. 47th St. and the 500 block of S. 48th.

Police say a woman awoke at a home on the 400 block of S. 47th at about 3 a.m. after she heard someone walking in the hallway. She told police that a young male, who broke in through the front door, entered her bedroom and demanded money. The man fled the home with the victim’s iPhone. She was able to track the phone to an area near 48th and Larchwood using a phone tracking app, according to a police report.

About 20 minutes later a man on the 500 block of S. 48th Street awoke to a young man slapping him in the face, demanding money and threatening to shoot him. The victim and suspect went down to the first floor of the home where the victim took out his phone and attempted to call police, according to the police report. The suspect grabbed his phone and broke it. The victim then grabbed his work phone and tried to call, but the suspect broke that phone as well. The victim gave the suspect cash and the suspect ordered him to return to the second floor. When the victim refused the suspect began swinging a ladder at him before fleeing the home. The victim sustained minor injuries in this confrontation, police said.

Police apprehended the man near the home. They said that no weapon was found when the suspect was caught.

Police have not released the name of the young man, who lives on the 4800 block of Walton St. They say he may be involved in a recent string of armed robberies in the area as well.

Police have issued a crime alert in the Cedar Park area following a string of robberies and attempted robberies over the weekend. In all three cases reported below, a sawed off shotgun or imitation of a gun was used.

The first incident happened on the 800 block of S. 48th Street, around 11:20 p.m. on Saturday, when a 28-year-old man was approached on the street by a young male, who pointed a sawed off shotgun at the victim and demanded money. The victim told police that he did not believe the gun was real and started screaming, according to a police report. The attacker didn’t take anything and fled on foot toward Baltimore Avenue.

The other two incidents took place on Sunday. A 26-year-old man was robbed and pistol-whipped near 47th and Hazel around 8:15 p.m. by two males, one of whom pressed a sawed off firearm into the victim’s chest, according to police. The males took the victim’s iPhone and wallet. The man was also hit in the head with the firearm after he said he didn’t have anything else and sustained a cut to his ear.  Continue Reading

Police are searching for the person or people who slashed tires on 13 vehicles parked on the 200 block of S. Farragut and 4600 block of Locust on Wednesday. Many of the vehicles had multiple tires slashed and several also had scratches to the doors, according to a police report. Police say it appears the vandalism took place between 2 and 7:30 a.m., when the damage was discovered.

There were multiple tire slashings in the area in early January 2013 when more than 50 vehicles were damaged near 49th/50th and Hazel. A 27-year-old man was arrested later that month in connection with the slashings.

Police are investigating a shooting outside of Cousin Danny’s Exotic Haven & Lounge at 52nd and Delancey, which left one person dead and two wounded. The shooting happened shortly after midnight on Sunday. One of the victims, a 25-year-old man, was shot multiple times and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. He died of his wounds several hours later. The second victim, a 47-year-old man, was shot in both legs and was listed in stable condition on Sunday. The man told police that he was walking on the 5200 block of Delancey when he heard the gunshots and was struck twice. He was able to walk after being shot and flagged down police nearby.

The third victim, a 24-year-old man, was found at Mercy Hospital where he walked after being shot once in his right leg.

Currently, the details of what led to the shooting are not available as the investigation continues.