Surveillance photo
A patron at a Holmesburg bar thought he saw a crime of opportunity, but he couldn’t elude the watchful eye of a surveillance camera on Feb. 20.
Now Rodney Ferrer, 50, of the 8100 block of Leon St., is facing theft charges for allegedly swiping a woman’s unattended purse from the top of the bar at Pub 36 on Frankford Avenue, court records show.
The incident happened at about 12:30 a.m. The victim told police she was sitting at the bar when she realized that her pocketbook was missing. Employees of the taproom reviewed footage from their in-house surveillance system and saw the crime unfold. A man was sitting at the bar and appeared to grab the purse. He placed it under his jacket and walked away.
Pub 36 posted surveillance images on the business’ Facebook page. The photos circulated on the social media service. Police went to the bar the next morning to retrieve the video, said Lt. Dennis Rosenbaum of Northeast Detectives. By the time they returned to the police station, there already were several tips waiting for them. Callers identified the suspect by name.
Ferrer surrendered to police voluntarily and admitted to swiping the purse, which contained an undetermined amount of cash. He was charged with two misdemeanor counts of theft. ••
