Surveillance photo: Harbison Avenue suspect
Police have release surveillance video of two recent strong-arm robberies in the Northeast.
Both crimes occurred earlier this month in the 15th district. On Jan. 8 at 4:24 a.m., a man walked into the Wawa at 6400 Torresdale Ave. in Tacony, approached an employee and demanded cigarettes and money. When the worker stated he could not open the cash register, the robber repeated his demands, threatened the employee and fled. He was last seen running northbound on Torresdale Avenue.
The crook was described as white, 30 years old and 6 feet 1 inch tall, with blond hair and wearing a green hooded sweatshirt under a black jacket.
On Jan. 16 at 8:54 p.m., an employee of the CVS at 6501 Harbison Ave. in Mayfair saw a patron enter the store and browse the aisles before taking some batteries from a rack and walking toward the front door. The worker waited outside the store.
When the suspected thief exited the store without paying for the batteries, the employee attempted to stop him. The crook struck the clerk in the face and fled in a gray SUV. The clerk suffered a deep facial cut.
The robber was described as white, 6 feet 6 inches tall and 30 years old. He has black hair and wore a gray hooded sweatshirt, black pants and gray sneakers.
To view video of either crime, visit the Philadelphia Police channel on YouTube.com. Call 215–686-TIPS or visit PPDTIP to report information. ••
Surveillance photo: Torresdale Ave. suspect