Three teenagers have been charged with murder days after friends and family gathered for Kevin Cullen’s vigil.
Last Wednesday night, family, friends and members of the Mayfair community joined one another on the 4200 block of Loring St. to remember the life of Kevin Cullen.
Cullen, 57, was found lying on the ground unconscious on Loring Street by 15th Police District officers who were responding to a robbery in progress at 5:55 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26. He was transported by Medic 17 to Aria Torresdale Hospital and was pronounced dead the following morning.
On Sunday, after a police investigation, three juveniles were taken into custody in connection with the beating death. All are charged as adults.
Brandon Conrad, 14, of 4600 block of Oakmont St., and Malik Page, 16, of 4700 block of Oakmont St., are both charged with criminal conspiracy, murder, robbery and related offenses. Emmanuel Harris, 17, of 4400 block of Shelmire Ave., is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, robbery and related offenses.
All three suspects are students at Abraham Lincoln High School.
At the candlelight vigil, people remembered the longtime Mayfair resident and spoke about the current challenges the neighborhood faces.
Donna Fricker, who lives at the corner where the murder took place, spoke in front of those huddled around poster boards with candles in hand.
“I’m in awe right now that this even happened outside my home,” she said.
Fricker did not know Cullen personally, but went outside right after the assault had taken place. Despite not knowing Cullen, Fricker thought it was important to show support to grieving members of the community.
“I’m glad to see all these people out here,” she said. “I didn’t expect this at all.”
Fricker called on the violence in the neighborhood to stop and hoped others will band together to do whatever is possible to help prevent senseless violence like this.
Mark Cullen, brother of Kevin, spoke to the crowd and shared how much Mayfair meant to his brother.
“He refused to leave this neighborhood, he loved this neighborhood,” said Cullen of his late brother. “It’s just tragic. Regardless if it’s my brother, it’s just a horrible, sickening story, and there’s so many kind people in this neighborhood, more good than bad.”
Another member of the community, Milt Martelack, spoke with passion about the life of Cullen and how he still has faith in the neighborhood.
“This was a very cowardly act and it’s a shame, it costs someone their life, for us to be out here on a night like this.” Martelack stated.
Martelack just shared a meal with Cullen the Saturday before the attack took place.
With growing concerns of how a heinous crime like this could happen, Martelack assured vigil-goers that their community has not fallen into disrepair.
“I hear people in this crowd saying, ‘Our neighborhood is going to pits, it’s done.’ Let me tell you something, people, if we finally take a stand to these cowards and let the good people run them out of here, we’re going to do it,” said Martelack. “There’s still a lot of good things that goes on in this neighborhood.”
State Rep. Kevin Boyle knew Cullen personally from his trips to his district office on Frankford Avenue and was heartbroken to hear of this tragedy.
“He was a very cheery, very humorous guy with a great sense of humor. It’s just so tragic what happened to Kevin Cullen on Sunday night because ultimately everyone who lives here in Northeast Philadelphia, this is not the neighborhood that we want to live in where we see people being murdered on our streets.”
Boyle saw, in this time of sorrow, the strength of Northeast Philadelphia.
“I think it speaks to the character and what we believe as a people here in Northeast Philadelphia, that people are here on the streets right now to remember this man, Kevin Cullen.”
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A Christmas food drive is taking place in memory of murder victim Kevin Cullen.
Cullen was a Mayfair native who attended St. Bernard Grammar School and Father Judge High School.
The food collected will be donated to families identified as needy by St. Bernard Church. Items accepted will include ShopRite and Acme gift cards, turkeys, hams and any kind of food, other than fresh vegetables.
Donations can be dropped off at Vogt Recreation Center, 4131 Unruh Ave., through Dec. 14. Drop-off hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 1 to 9 p.m. Friday; and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The contact is George Kilcullen (215–776–0687).
For information, call 267–312–2045 or 215–683–9220. ••
