Philly police step up efforts to identify suspect in series of armed robberies in NE Philly

NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA - Philly police want you to look at a surveillance picture. They say it is a man who has been on a month-long robbery spree, hitting up stores in the northeast, using a gun to try and get cash.

"Wow. Wow," said Keith Murray and Yazmin McPherson when I showed them the picture. They were coming out of an Acme on the 6600 block of East Roosevelt Boulevard Friday evening. Police say the suspect tried to rob the same grocery store at gunpoint Thursday around 5:15 but did not get away with anything.

"We're usually around like 5 or 6 out here, right? So, to me, he is setting himself up to be caught. It is still daylight. Somebody is probably going to recognize him through his disguise," said Murray. The disguise is a mask over the lower part of his face. He is also wearing black-rimmed glasses and a hat.

"He's pretty bold, like to do something like that," said Murray.

Police say the suspect has hit eight stores since September 21st, striking during evening hours. They include two Acme stores, three Dollar General stores, two Dollar Tree stores and one Boston Market.

"He approached a cashier in various businesses, produced a handgun and demanded money," said Captain John Craig. Investigators say the robber got away with money in six of the eight incidents. A couple thousand dollars in total, they estimate. It is surprising to Mike Dolan that stores would have a significant amount of cash available.

"Most people pay with credit card, I think. They charge it," he said. Dolan says he noticed new security on Friday, in addition to the regular guard normally there.

"When I came out, there's a fella standing there at the door and he's got a bullet-proof vest on," said Dolan.

Murray wonders if customers could be next. "If he's bold enough to walk in the store and rob cashiers, he'll walk up to somebody, like we're going to our car to put our groceries away, he could come up behind us and we could be next."

Most of the businesses are in the northeast, except for one the armed robber hit in Cheltenham.

The Philadelphia Police Department urges anyone with information about these incidents to contact Northeast Detectives at 215-686-3153 or the PPD tip line at 215-686-tips (8477). Callers can remain anonymous.