Center City Philly armed robberies linked: Police issue warrant for South Philly man
PHILADELPHIA - Police in Philadelphia announced Monday they believe four armed robberies in Center City are connected with an arrest warrant issued for one suspect, according to investigators.
The robberies took place between August 23 and September 1 and targeted people wearing expensive jewelry and carrying cash, police say.
What we know:
Police say they have linked four separate armed robberies in Center City over the past month. On Monday, investigators issued an arrest warrant for 32-year-old Shakur Nichols of South Philadelphia, accused of involvement in an armed robbery on the 1200 block of Sansom Street around 2:22 a.m. on August. 28.
During that incident, police say two suspects, one armed with an AR-style rifle and the other with a handgun, robbed a victim walking with a group.
The suspects stole a watch valued at $2,500 and two chains valued at $7,000 each, police say.
Police say they also released a photo of a man wanted in connection with one of the incidents.
In some cases, expensive jewelry was taken; in at least one case, cash was also stolen, according to police.
Dig deeper:
Central detectives say the robberies started with a case on Aug. 23 around 3:00 a.m. near 1500 Locust Street. Police say video shows a suspect with an AR-style rifle and three others with handguns robbing a person, then going to the Sin City Cabaret at 6130 West Passyunk Avenue, where detectives say they followed their next target, a female employee of the cabaret.
Another robbery happened on the morning of Sept. 1 at the 5700 block of Haddington Lane, targeting someone known for flashy jewelry and clothing, according to investigators.
Local perspective:
"They're pointing handguns and shouting at him at that time, threatening to shoot the complainant," said Philadelphia Police.
"You can't even enjoy yourself in Philadelphia no more because it's like things like this happen," said Amanda Ware of Center City.
"I have a personal rule, I don't go out after midnight in this city because that's when I feel like things get a little bit too crazy now," said Gigio Longo, owner of Uhleeche Pizza. "The city is the safest it's been in a long time. I feel like the police and Cherelle are doing their hardest to make the streets safer."
"I was just here on Monday, last Monday for a concert and me and my friend were walking around, around that time, so that is scary. There's a wrong place, wrong time for everywhere," said Samara Smith of Trenton.
"For sure, because you would think you would be safe walking the streets," said Ima Umoh of Trenton.
What's next:
Police say they continue searching for Nichols and are asking for the public's help in identifying additional suspects. Authorities believe in some cases, the victims may have been specifically targeted based on appearance or personal items, like jewelry.
What we don't know:
Police have not said if any other suspects have been identified or arrested in connection to these robberies. It is also unclear how many total people were involved in each incident, according to investigators.
The Source: This article contains information from the Philadelphia Police Department and on-scene interviews.