Suspect sought for series of armed robberies in Upper Darby
UPPER DARBY, Pa. (WTXF) - Police say a dangerous man is on the run in Delaware County. He's wanted for a string of armed and violent robberies.
"The world that we're living in is just becoming a place that I know my children are going to fear. I'm going to fear for their safety in this world," said Nathalia Castillo.
It's how Castillo feels when learning of three Upper Darby armed robberies in recent days, allegedly carried out by 41-year-old Ali Abdul Qawiee Jr.
"It's absolutely unnecessary," Castillo added.
Most recently, police say he held up a woman with her six-year-old child at a Wells Fargo Bank ATM on Garett Road Friday night.
"Puts a gun to her ribs, threatens to kill her, demands $500. She panics, she says she doesn't have any money. The gunman flees," stated Upper Darby Township Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood.
Superintendent Chitwood says the same suspect watched a man who cashed $675 worth of checks at a check cashing business at 69th Street Terminal before going back to his home a short distance away. Chitwood says Qawiee followed close behind, plotting his attack.
"Throws him on the bed, takes him into the bathroom, ties him up with cord and then ransacks the place and steals the $675 and a cell phone belonging to the victim," Superintendent Chitwood explained.
"I don't think I'd be able to have peace of mind ever again from that point," Castillo stated.
Earlier in the week, investigators say the same man robbed the owner of Polites Flower Shop at gunpoint as he opened around 6:15 in the morning, stealing $150.
Police say the suspect is not to be messed around with.
"We want to get him off the street because he's got a gun, he's armed and, even though he hasn't shot anybody or killed anybody, he has threatened to do bodily harm to these people," Superintendent Chitwood explained.