Police plead for tips
Philadelphia Police Department detectives are still looking for help in identifying the man who killed 26-year-old Amber Long in a robbery in Northern Liberties on Sunday, Jan. 19.
Police have released no updates on the investigation since an early tip turned out to be a lie.
On Thursday, police released surveillance video that shows the moments leading up to Long’s murder. The footage shows two men in hooded sweatshirts approaching Long and her mother as they walked on the 900 block of N. Front Street at 10:37 p.m. The taller of the two men grabbed Long’s mother’s purse, and the other attempted to snatch Long’s purse. In the moments after the video cuts out, the man fired one fatal shot at point blank range into Long’s chest, police said.
Captain James Clark said Thursday that Long did not fight back.
“This is one of the saddest videos I’ve seen,” he said, “and in my opinion these individuals are out-and-out cowards, to come and shoot a defenseless female like this just because he couldn’t get her purse off quick enough.”
The men were last seen fleeing north on Front Street in a newer model, dark-colored, four-door Chevrolet Impala.
Long, of the 1700 block of Ritner Street in South Philadelphia, was pronounced dead at Hahnemann University Hospital later Sunday night.
The city is offering a $20,000 reward and police are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspects, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the homicide unit at 215–686–3334. To submit a tip, call 215–686–8477 or text 773847.
“If someone knows these individuals,” Clark said, “maybe [from] the way they walk, some of their mannerisms, the clothes that they had on that night, anything, just come to the homicide unit right now. … We need whatever information we can get to catch these killers.” ••
Charter school gets grant
Maritime Academy Charter School was among 13 schools and the only in Philadelphia to receive a state grant to increase school safety and security, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
State officials awarded the school $40,000 out of the total $3.9 million in grants. The money will fund school police officers and resource officers, who are like police officers but also work with students to prevent drug and alcohol abuse, according to the article.
The school, with locations in Port Richmond and Bridesburg, beat out 114 schools that applied for funds.
The grants, announced Jan. 23, are a part of the expansion of the state’s Safe Schools grant program, the article said.
Schools selected could have received up to $100 in funds. Pennsylvania will distribute a total 81 grants to schools, towns and police departments, according to the Inquirer. ••
Man in custody for throwing TV
A man was taken in by police after reportedly throwing a television at his 12-year-old son, according to NBC10.com.
The incident occurred inside a home on the 3300 block of Ruth Street around 5:15 a.m., when the man allegedly struck the boy in the head with the TV, according to investigators. The boy was taken to St. Christopher’s Hospital, where he is listed in stable condition, the article said. The father has not yet been officially charged with any crimes, police said. ••
Gas leak causes evacuation
More than a dozen residents were forced from their homes over the weekend after a gas leak in Kensington, according to a report on NBC10.
The leak occurred inside a home Saturday on the 3300 block of I Street, officials said, and was caused by a crack in the main pipe that runs along the street.
A total of five homes and 15 people were evacuated while crews work to fix the issue, the article said. One family took shelter in a SEPTA bus.
The Salvation Army is working to help those displaced from their homes.
No word on what caused the crack in the pipe that caused the leak, PGW officials said in the article. ull;•
— Ali Eaves, Carolan DiFiore and William Kenny
