Homeless man charged with multiple commercial 7-Eleven robberies
PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - A 30-year-old man has been identified as the suspect in a string of commercial robberies in Philadelphia.
The first robbery took place on September 21 at 4:27 a.m.
Police say an unknown Hispanic male entered a 7-Eleven located at 1190 East Luzerne Street through the front door.
Once inside the man pulled a blue hood over his head and approached the counter with a 4 foot piece of 2x4 wood, raising it at a 42-year-old male employee.
When the employee fled to the stock room, closing the door to call 911, the man broke open the cash register drawer with the 2x4, took an unknown amount of money, and then fled in an unknown direction.
On September 24 at 6:56 a.m., an unknown male entered another 7-Eleven at 3300 Aramingo Avenue with a 2x4 wood and demanded money from the cash register.
When the employee complied with the demands, giving him the cash register drawer containing an undisclosed amount of money, the man fled on food and was last seen west on Westmoreland Street.
On October 15 at 11:25 p.m., an unknown male entered another 7-Eleven at 3967 Kensington Avenue armed with a 2x4 piece of wood.
He demanded money from the cashiers and when a second employee was unable to open the second cash register, the suspect went around the counter taking the cash register drawer.
After the man took an unknown amount of money from the first cash register, he fled and was last seen east on Hunting Park, then south on Frankford Avenue.
The cash register drawer was recovered on the 3900 block of Frankford Avenue.
On October 19, officers observed a man, later identified as Michael Berry, on the 3100 block of Kensington Avenue, who matched the description of a male depicted in multiple robbery surveillance videos.
The officers stopped Berry and he was taken to East Detectives for further investigation where he was later charged with multiple counts of commercial robbery.
Berry is 30-years-old and currently homeless. He is charged with multiple counts of commercial robbery and related offenses.