A 29-year-old man sustained facial injuries during a gunpoint robbery at 12:40 a.m. at 46th Street and Cedar Avenue. Police said the victim was approached by a male who struck him several times in the face and head with a metal object, believed to be a handgun.

The attacker took $45 from the man and ran east on Cedar. As a result of the attack, the victim had cuts and bruises on his face and was taken to Mercy Hospital for treatment.

The attacker is described as a black male, medium complexion, about 5’10” tall, wearing a black T-shirt and shorts. No other details were provided.

Don’t forget about the walking escort service. Call 215-898-WALK (9255) and a Public Safety Ambassador will be dispatched. This is a free service and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A ring of car thieves is apparently operating in Sector 3 of the 18th Police District, between Market and S. 49th Streets and the Schuylkill River, according to information provided by Brian M. Villa, 27th Ward Democratic Committeeman (the 27th ward for the Democratic Executive Committee encompasses Penn’s campus). The police asked for help to address this problem, Villa said.

Toyota Camry models from the 1990s to the 2000s are being specifically targeted, apparently for their metal body parts. The thefts are mostly taking place between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. About a dozen cars were stolen in this area in the past month (see map).

If you see suspicious activity please call 911 and note to the dispatcher that this is a targeted issue of the 18th District police.

Map of car thefts in the 18th Police District, Sector 3, from June 23 to July 23, 2012. “V” stands for vehicle theft. (Source: Crime Reports)

The 19-year-old man who pleaded guilty in April to a highly publicized sexual assault last fall and was scheduled to be sentenced last Friday has changed his mind.

During his sentencing hearing, Kareem Drayton rescinded his guilty plea and fired his attorney, according to court records. Drayton negotiated a guilty plea in April to the sexual assault at gunpoint of a 32-year-old teacher last September near 48th and Springfield and other robbery and weapons charges. Drayton told the court that he wants a trial.

A trial would require locating several witnesses and complainants in the case.

“(He) wants to roll the dice,” said a source familiar with the case.

Drayton’s next court date is August 16.

A reader alerted us to some car vandalism incidents that recently took place in the area around Malcolm X. Park. Chris T. writes that two nights ago his car along with at least two other cars between 50th and 51st were “marked with black spray paint, keyed, and/or had corrosive substances poured through the rubber of the side windows.”

Chris says that he has lived on that block for a year and this is the first time he personally encountered vandalism to this extent. It looks like the cars were chosen randomly – they were not parked in a row nor were they on the same side of the street.

“I know it’s no tire-slashing and thankfully mine was not broken into, but crimes of opportunity like these are really troubling,” Chris wrote. His neighbor’s car had a window smashed out and was presumably broken into a few days ago between the 50th and 51st block of Osage Ave.

The 19-year-old man who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a woman at gunpoint last September near 48th and Springfield and about two dozen other crimes will be sentenced tomorrow.

Kareem Drayton negotiated a plea deal with prosecutors in April on charges stemming from the highly publicized sexual assault and robbery of a 32-year-old teacher. Police say Drayton held a gun to the woman’s head and assaulted her as her boyfriend stood nearby. Drayton also pleaded guilty to other robberies and burglaries in the city. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. tomorrow in courtroom 802 at the Criminal Justice Center (1301 Filbert St.).

Drayton’s accomplice in the robbery of the woman and her boyfriend, 19-year-old Tyshanek Presley, also negotiated a plea arrangement and will be sentenced in August, according to court records.

The sexual assault and robbery took place at about 10 p.m. as the couple returned home from a restaurant. The crime shook many residents in the neighborhood and 100 people attended a monthly police meeting days after the crime to discuss what could be done to curtail crime in the area. The crime also spurred renewed interest in neighborhood watch groups, including the 48th Street Neighborhood Town Watch.

A reader, Christina, reports that goods from two packages were stolen from her front yard yesterday. She lives on 46th Street between Locust and Spruce. Packaging and invoices were left behind.

Similar issues were reported last fall and in the spring. Christina notified police about this incident and encourages others who may have missing packages to do the same. She said that the companies the packages were sent from were very helpful and are replacing the items. A police report can be helpful should the carrier want to investigate the stolen property.