PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia police are investigating a string of armed robberies — some attempted — across several neighborhoods early Friday morning
The first incident happened just after midnight on the 2500 block of Clearfield Street. There, police say an unknown silver pickup truck pulled in front of a woman’s vehicle and blocked her path. A person then got out of the truck, pointed a rifle at her through the window, and demanded she open the car doors. The woman said she had no money or valuables on her, put her car in reverse and drove off. The person then got back in the truck and drove off.
About three hours later, around 2:50 a.m., a man in all black clothes and a ski mask followed a woman up the steps to her house along the 800 block of East Thompson Street and pointed a rifle at her. The woman pushed the man and ran inside her home. The man then hopped in a light-colored SUV and fled the scene.
At 5:44 a.m., two men with a rifle approached a man inside his car on the 2500 block of Emery Street and demanded money. They got away with an iPhone, two iPads and money.
Not much later, at 6 a.m., two people walked up to a woman at an ATM on the 4700 block of Rising Sun Avenue, pulled out a rifle, and took money from her.
And about 17 minutes after that, a person with a rifle came up to a man in his car on the 1000 block of East Palmer Street. The man resisted, grabbed the gun, and pushed it away. The suspect fled the scene with nothing.
Detectives are looking to see whether the incidents are related and if they involve the same person or group.
Police urge anyone with information on these incidents to contact the East Detective Division at 215-686-3243 or call the police department tipline at 215-686-8477.