Police say that the U.S. Marshals and Philadelphia law enforcement officers have apprehended a 49-year-old man they say robbed several West Philadelphia businesses, including several Rite Aid stores and the McDonald’s at 52nd and Chestnut.

Cartel Wright was arrested at about 2 a.m. on Friday on the 2100 block of College Avenue in North Philadelphia after a struggle with Marshals.

Police say Wright’s crime spree began in late September when he robbed a Rite Aid on City Avenue. Wright is a suspect in the following robberies:

• September 30, 2014, at 5:18 a.m., Rite Aid located at 5000 block, City Avenue
• December 18, 2014, at 2:00 a.m., Rite Aid located at 5000 block, City Avenue
• December 18, 2014, at 7:20 p.m., Rite Aid located at 5200 block, Baltimore Avenue
• December 27, 2014, at 5:25 a.m., Rite Aid located at 5000 block, City Avenue
• December 28, 2014, at 9:50 p.m., CVS located at 7500 block, City Avenue
• January 1, 2015, at 4:35 p.m., Family Dollar located at 5800 block, Woodland Avenue
• January 11, 2015, at 3:45 p.m., Rite Aid located at 5440 Lansdowne Avenue. The suspect then carjacks a 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser from the parking lot after leaving the Rite Aid. The vehicle was later recovered on the 1400 block of North 56th Street.
• January 11, 2015, 5:25 p.m., McDonald’s located at 7500 City Avenue
• January 12, 2015, at 5:30 a.m., McDonald’s located at 5200 Chestnut Street

– Mike Lyons

A 29-year-old woman was robbed at gunpoint by two or three males on the 4900 block of Spruce Street Friday night, according to police. The robbery happened at around 8:15 p.m. The men took the woman’s phone, according to police. The woman was not injured. Police say that later they arrested two suspects near 50th and Larchwood and recovered the stolen items and a BB gun.

A still from police video below.

Police are looking for a serial robber who targets Rite Aids and other commercial locations around West Philly.

Police say 49-year-old Cartel Wright (also known as “Kevin Jones”) of the 5900 block of Upland Street is a suspect in at least nine armed robberies dating back to September. Wright allegedly robbed the same Rite Aid on the 5000 block of City Avenue three times between late September and late December. He is also wanted for robbing another Rite Aid on the 5200 block of Baltimore Avenue in mid December and the McDonald’s at 52nd and Chestnut on Monday, Jan. 12.  Continue Reading

UPDATE (12/11/2014): Unfortunately, there was another report this week of a sexual assault in West Philadelphia. A 21-year-old woman, a Drexel University student, was raped in her off-campus apartment on the 3400 block of Spring Garden street. The assault happened early Wednesday morning, around 4:15 a.m. An unidentified man broke into the student’s apartment and threatened her with a meat cleaver prior to the assault, according to reports. The man fled the apartment after the assault. The description of the attacker is not available. The apartment was dark, and the victim could not describe the man who assaulted her, but this assault and Monday’s assault near 47th and Chestnut (see below) “do not appear to be related at this time,” according to PPD spokesperson Tanya Little. Drexel police and the Special Victims Unit of the Philadelphia Police Department are investigating.

(12/10/2014): A 23-year-old woman was sexually assaulted and robbed on Monday evening near 47th and Chestnut, according to police.

The woman was walking in the 100 block of S. 47th Street at around 8:30 p.m., when an unidentified male approached and grabbed her from behind. He then forced the victim to the ground and physically and sexually assaulted her before taking her purse and fleeing on foot, according to a police report. The attacker is described as a black male between 30 and 35 years of age, approximately 6 feet tall, heavy build, with short hair, close-trimmed beard and mustache. He was wearing a blue jacket, a black knit hat and gloves and had a backpack on. The extent of the victim’s injuries are currently unknown.  Continue Reading

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