Suspect arrested in armed robbery south of Main Campus

Naiem Lester, 18. | COURTESY PHILADELPHIA POLICE

Naiem Lester, 18. | COURTESY PHILADELPHIA POLICE

On Wednesday, police identified and arrested a suspect in an armed robbery that occurred Monday night on Thompson Street near 15th.

According to a press release from Philadelphia Police’s Department of Public Affairs, Naiem Lester, 18, of 10th Street near Thompson, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, robbery and recklessly endangering another person, among other offenses. Lester turned himself in Wednesday at the 18th District’s Headquarters and was then transported to the department’s Central Detectives Division for processing, police said.

The robbery occurred at about 10 p.m. Monday, police said.

The complainant, a 23-year-old female and two witnesses—a 22-year-old female and 20-year-old male—were approached by two men on Thompson Street, according to police.

Police said the complainant continued walking and the two suspects asked the witnesses where Cecil B. Moore Avenue was. They then walked westbound after the complainant, followed by the two witnesses.

The men threw the complainant to the ground and began to grab at her, police said. The female witness had the complainant’s purse at the time of the attack, and swung the purse the the offenders. She then saw that one of the men had a small handgun and she heard three gunshots, according to police.

Police said one of the men took the complainant’s purse and fled westbound on Thompson Street.

The complainant did not require medical treatment, and no other injuries were reported, according to police.

Police said Central Detective Division’s Special Investigations Unit developed a suspect and issued an arrest warrant Tuesday. The investigation of the incident is ongoing.

Lian Parsons can be reached at lian.parsons@temple.edu or on Twitter @Lian_Parsons.