Philadelphia police have made two arrests in connection with almost two dozen burglaries of apartment building laundry rooms in the Northeast since late November.
A Feb. 4 car stop in the 24th district led to the arrest Marcus Fair, 28, of Warminster, and another man as well as the recovery of stolen property and clothing that the burglars allegedly wore during the crimes. Fair admitted to committing the break-ins, police said, and was charged with 22 counts of burglary, theft, conspiracy and related offenses. Criminal charges are pending against his suspected accomplice, court records show. His identity has not been released officially.
Between Nov. 28 and Feb. 2, the two men allegedly broke into 22 apartment buildings throughout the Northeast and stole change from the laundry machines in each building. In some instances, the crooks also stole electronics and tools that had been stored in the buildings.
Incidents were reported in three of the Northeast’s four police districts, including the 2nd, 7th and 8th.
Based on information from witnesses and surveillance equipment, police developed descriptions of the suspects, including the type of car they used. On Feb. 4 at about 2 a.m., patrol cops stopped the suspects’ car near Third and Indiana streets in the 24th district. Detectives executed search warrants on the car and the unnamed suspect’s Somerton residence.
The unnamed suspect was initially hospitalized for a pre-existing medical condition. He has prior arrests for burglary, theft and narcotics violations. Fair has no prior record in Philadelphia but has been arrested previously for narcotics offenses and theft in Bucks County. ••
