Category Archives: Crime

Suspect arrested in armed robbery south of Main Campus

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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.

Footage of sexual assault suspect released

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Philadelphia Police believe this is the suspect in Monday night's sexual assault and robbery of a Temple student. |COURTESY PHILADELPHIA POLICE

Philadelphia Police believe this is the suspect in Monday night’s sexual assault and robbery of a Temple student. |COURTESY PHILADELPHIA POLICE

Philadelphia Police released footage today of the man who is believed to have sexually assaulted and robbed a 20-year-old female student Monday night.

The department’s Special Victims Unit is still trying to identify and locate the suspect, who was captured on a SEPTA subway camera before the incident. He was last seen boarding the Broad Street Line at the Erie station and departing at the Cecil B. Moore station.

Officer Christine O’Brien, a Philadelphia Police spokeswoman, said both a witness and the student who was attacked said the man in the video is the suspect.

O’Brien added that at a press conference at the Special Victims Unit’s headquarters on Hunting Park Avenue near Front Street, Capt. John Darby said the suspect may be responsible for another recent robbery. The location of that robbery is not yet available, O’Brien said.

The student and suspect are not believed to have known each other, Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone previously told The Temple News.

Tipsters can contact Philadelphia Police at 215-686-8477 or text 773847. All tips are confidential.

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steve.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.

Police arrest three in connection with armed robbery

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Police have arrested two men in connection to an armed robbery that occurred on Norris Street near 17th early Monday morning—one of whom fired at officers before being apprehended.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said 22nd District officers arrested one of the suspects after he came out of his house on Lehigh Avenue near 15th Street. The second suspect was arrested after he fired shots at officers while they were identifying the first male, he added.

A third man was arrested around 1:30 a.m. Sunday because he might be associated with the pair of suspects arrested Monday, Leone said. He and one of the men arrested Monday are juveniles, so their names and information will not be released, he added.

Leone said the second man arrested Monday might have been an adult, and is looking into information on that suspect.

A TU Alert was sent out about Monday’s robbery at around 2:15 a.m. Leone said that around 2 a.m., a student and non-student were walking on Norris Street when two men approached them. One of the men showed a black handgun and told the two to “give me everything,” Leone said. He added that after they gave the suspects their cell phones, the robbers fled west on Norris Street, and then north on 17th Street.

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steve.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.

 

Shooting reported northwest of Main Campus Tuesday night

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A 22-year-old man was shot Tuesday night around 10:54 p.m. at the corner of 17th Street and Susquehanna Avenue.

The victim, who is not connected with Temple, was shot in the right buttocks and drove himself to Temple University Hospital, Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said. Leone said the man is in stable condition.

There is no description of the suspect and not a lot of information to go on, Leone said. He added the victim was carrying a packet of white powder when he was shot. The packet will be tested to determine the substance.

Jack Tomczuk can be reached at jack.tomczuk@temple.edu or on Twitter @JackTomczuk.

 

Recent law grad discovered dead in Delaware

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New Castle County police are still investigating the death of Shazim Uppal, a 27-year-old Temple School of Law graduate who earned his degree in July.

Officers found Uppal in a parked sedan on the 100 block of Saint Claire Drive in Hockessin, Delaware. He had sustained gunshot wounds to the upper torso, and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Uppal was last seen driving a 2007 black Audi A8 Sunday between 10 and 11 p.m., investigators said. As of Wednesday afternoon, no new information about the investigation was available.

Craig Green, who taught Uppal in two law classes during his time at Temple, said he was saddened by the news.

“I had been meeting with him in the summer,” Green said. “He was preparing very hard for the New Jersey and Pennsylvania law board exams … it was a very tragic thing to hear about.”

He added that he last worked with Uppal in a guided research class during the summer, and last saw him after the Ramadan holiday.

“He was hard-working,” Green said. “He was a really kind person, had a gentle demeanor, and was very excited about finishing law school. He had a very bright future ahead of him, and we won’t see that come to fruition.”

“I was excited about seeing him in October after he passed the bar, which would’ve been the next time I would have seen him,” he added.

Tipsters, call the New Castle County Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Unit at 302-395-8110 or visit www.nccpd.com  

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steve.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.

Student attacked, robbed on Norris Street

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Police are searching for four men who attacked a 21-year-old Temple student Friday night on Norris Street near 15th Street.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said the victim was struck in the head by one of the suspects while walking east on Norris St around 10:00 p.m.

After surrendering $40, the suspects demanded the victim give them his phone, Leone said. The student offered some resistance before one of the suspects pulled out a knife, causing the victim to hand over the phone, Leone added.

The victim was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital following the attack, Leone said.

Leone described the suspects as four men between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-10 and between 16 and 19 years old. They were last seen wearing white and gray shirts with one of the suspects sporting a blue bandana over his face.

Police are hoping to find evidence leading to the suspects from security cameras in the area or by tracking the stolen phone, Leone said.

Jack Tomczuk can be reached at jack.tomczuk@temple.edu or on Twitter @JackTomczuk.

 

Student and friend robbed on N. 18th Street

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A 21-year-old Temple student and his friend were robbed around 3:10 a.m. Wednesday on the 1600 block of N. 18th Street.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said the victims were walking on N. 18th Street when a suspect approached them, flashed a handgun and demanded their money. The Temple student surrendered his wallet, while the other victim – also a 21-year-old male – gave the suspect his debit card, Leone said.

Leone said the suspect fled east toward Broad Street, and then north on N. 16th Street before jumping into a car on Cecil B. Moore Avenue. The two victims sustained no injuries, he added.

A TU Alert was sent out about the incident at around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Leone said that Campus Safety Services are checking cameras to try to identify the suspect. Leone said the suspect is a male who is estimated be about 5-foot-11, and was last seen wearing a light blue hooded sweatshirt.

Jack Tomczuk can be reached at jack.tomczuk@temple.edu or on Twitter @JackTomczuk.

Philly police investigating armed robbery on N. 16th Street

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Philadelphia police are searching for two men in connection with an aggravated assault and shooting that occurred on the 1700 block of N. 16th Street on Saturday night.

Police said they were called to an apartment on N. 16th Street shortly after 10:00 p.m. When they arrived at the scene, they said they found drips of blood as they were climbing the staircase, and a significant amount of blood inside the apartment itself. A silver Colt .357 caliber revolver was found behind the building, police added.

Three residents of the apartment reported that they were robbed at gunpoint inside the apartment, police said. The three victims – a 27-year-old woman, a 34-year-old man, and a 35-year-old man – were unharmed, police added.

The three residents said they did not have possession of a gun during the alleged robbery, according to police.

Investigators are looking for two perpetrators and the shooting victim(s). According to police, the suspects are described as two males in their mid-30s, one of them of slim build.

Jack Tomczuk can be reached at jack.tomczuk@temple.edu or on Twitter @JackTomczuk.

Roberts pleads guilty in hit-and-run accident involving Rachel Hall

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Rashan Roberts, the 18-year-old charged in the hit-and-run accident involving senior lacrosse player Rachel Hall in April, pled guilty at the Criminal Justice Center on Thursday morning.

According to court records, Roberts pled guilty to an accident involving death or personal injury. He was arrested by police on May 6, and waived his preliminary hearing on May 22.

Roberts told investigators he “panicked” when he struck Hall on her bicycle at the intersection of Diamond Street and Park Avenue on April 29. He was driving his father’s 2012 silver Mitsubishi Galant with a learner’s permit at the time, and quickly fled the scene after striking the senior lacrosse goalie.

His sentencing is scheduled for October 13, according to court records.

Kathy Hall, Rachel’s mother, has been posting updates on Hall’s status on a Facebook page titled “Rachel Hall Temple Strong.” On May 27, Kathy posted that Rachel had been transferred from Temple University Hospital to Magee Rehabilitation Hospital.

In the page’s most recent post, Kathy said that Rachel’s family and friends have set up a You Caring Fund page to help pay for her recovery costs. Through July 26, nearly $4,000 has been collected toward a $25,000 goal. To donate, visit http://www.youcaring.com/rachelhalltemplestrong.

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steve.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.

 

Bank robber steals $12,000 near School of Dentistry

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Police responded to an armed robbery at the PNC Bank Westmoreland Branch on Broad St. across from the School of Dentistry on Wednesday afternoon.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said that the suspect stole $12,000 from the bank, located on the 3200 block of N. Broad St. He fled south on Broad Street in the direction of W. Allegheny Ave., Leone added.

A TU Alert was sent out about the incident at around 2:50 p.m.

Leone described the suspect as a black male who is around 5 feet 9 inches tall and 215 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white tank top and light blue jeans with a white t-shirt covering his head.

The FBI will take the lead in the investigation, Leone said.

Jack Tomczuk can be reached at jack.tomczuk@temple.edu or on Twitter @JackTomczuk.