Philadelphia local news, sports, jobs, cars, homes

Author: Robert Moran

  • 2 Philly men convicted in 3 gang-related fatal shootings

    2 Philly men convicted in 3 gang-related fatal shootings

    Two Philadelphia men on Tuesday were convicted of first-degree murder for gang-related shootings that left three dead and five others wounded, including a man who was paralyzed after being shot 19 times, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said.

    Chris Byard, 27, was found guilty by a jury of three counts of first-degree murder and related offenses, and was sentenced to serve three consecutive life terms, Sunday said.

    Daquan Bishop, 28, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and related offenses, and was sentenced to serve two consecutive life terms.

    Byard and Bishop were members of the “6600” gang and they were trying to shoot members of another gang, Sunday said. The other gang was called “Greatah,” KYW reported in 2023 after both men were arrested and charged.

    Byard and Bishop were found guilty of the Nov. 27, 2021, killing of 24-year-old Angel Rivera, who was gunned down on the 500 block of West Duncannon Avenue.

    Both men were also found guilty of fatally shooting 23-year-old Tymir Johnson on the 3100 block of Barnett Street on Dec. 15, 2021. Two other men were wounded in that shooting.

    Byard was also convicted of the Jan. 11, 2022, killing of 21-year-old Rashaan Frazier, who was gunned down on the 4000 block of Aldine Street. Two other men were wounded.

    In the Frazier killing, Byard and others were targeting another man and killed Frazier by mistake.

    Byard was involved in a fourth shooting that left a man paralyzed from the waist down after being hit 19 times by bullets, Sunday said.

    Another defendant, 27-year-old Daquan Bethea, pleaded guilty in October to attempted murder and related crimes and was sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

  • Burst water pipe causes partial closure of SEPTA’s Regional Rail station in Center City

    Burst water pipe causes partial closure of SEPTA’s Regional Rail station in Center City

    A burst water pipe caused SEPTA to close a section of Jefferson Station in Center City on Monday night, but Regional Rail trains were still making stops there for commuters, an agency spokesperson said.

    The water started flooding into Section A of the station around 6 p.m., and the water was shut off shortly after 7 p.m., said SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch.

    Section A closed Monday night for cleanup but opened in time for the morning rush Tuesday, Busch said.

    All trains were still running with boardings and exits at other platforms, Busch said.

    “We believe the pipe burst was likely due to the change in temperature,” Busch said in an email Monday. “We also had one at the Allegheny subway station today, and a few last week on the days it got above freezing.”

  • Fire Marshal rules that a fatal house fire in Kingsessing was intentionally set

    Fire Marshal rules that a fatal house fire in Kingsessing was intentionally set

    A 25-year-old man was pronounced dead after he was pulled from a burning house in a fire that was intentionally set early Wednesday in the city’s Kingsessing, authorities said.

    The Philadelphia Fire Department responded just before 1:45 a.m. to a report of a fire in a two-story rowhouse on the 5400 block of Regent Street, authorities said

    Firefighters battled the fire on the second floor and attempted to rescue a man from the back bedroom. He was transported by medics to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 2:29 a.m.

    The fire was placed under control at 2:01 a.m. and no other injuries were reported.

    “The Fire Marshal’s Office did determine this fire was incendiary, meaning it was set intentionally,” said Rachel Cunningham, spokesperson for the fire department.

    The case is now being investigated by police.

  • Temple student arrested for anti-ICE protest at Minnesota church in case involving journalist Don Lemon

    Temple student arrested for anti-ICE protest at Minnesota church in case involving journalist Don Lemon

    A 21-year-old Temple University student was arrested Monday on charges that he conspired with nine other people, including journalist Don Lemon, to interfere with the First Amendment rights of worshipers during a Jan. 18 anti-ICE protest at a church in St. Paul, Minn.

    Jerome Richardson, 21, a senior at Temple who is a native of St. Paul, turned himself in Monday morning to federal authorities in Philadelphia, according to a post on a GoFundMe page created to pay for his legal defense. A photo was posted showing Richardson entering the United States Custom House with several federal law enforcement officers apparently waiting for him at the entrance.

    The arrests of Richardson and Ian Davis Austin, an Army veteran from Montgomery County, were announced at 9:10 a.m. on X by Attorney General Pam Bondi. Austin was arrested Friday.

    A Montco Army veteran was indicted alongside journalist Don Lemon for anti-ICE protest at a St. Paul church

    “If you riot in a place of worship, we WILL find you,” Bondi wrote. “We have made two more arrests in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota: Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson.”

    The arrest of Don Lemon was made public on Friday.

    The protesters went to Cities Church because a pastor there is also a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official.

    Lemon entered the church while livestreaming and said repeatedly: “I’m not here as an activist. I’m here as a journalist.” He described the scene before him, and interviewed churchgoers and demonstrators.

    A magistrate judge had rejected prosecutors’ initial bid to charge the veteran journalist. Lemon was charged, as were Richardson and seven others, by grand jury indictment last Thursday.

    The indictment described the protest as a “coordinated takeover-style attack” on the church that caused people to flee in fear. Protesters chanted “ICE out!” and “Hands up! Don’t shoot!” The indictment quotes Lemon, who in the moment described the scene as “traumatic and uncomfortable.”

    Before his arrest, Richardson shared a video online in which he said he feared for his safety and needed help to pay legal bills.

    Richardson said he assisted Lemon “by helping with logistics and connecting him with local contacts.”

    “Don was reporting on the situation,” Richardson said, adding that he was proud to help.

    “As a consequence of this support, I am now being targeted by Trump and the federal administration,” Richardson said, adding that he was proud of the other defendants in the case.

    “This is the price of being unapologetic about humanity and love of Christ,” he said.

    Richardson, who traced his activism to the murder of George Floyd in 2020, said he still hoped to complete his degree and graduate from Temple in May.

    In a statement, Temple University said it was aware of media reports about the arrest of a student.

    “We understand that the circumstances surrounding this matter are developing. Out of respect for the privacy of the student and the ongoing legal process, the University will not comment on the specifics,” the statement says.

    “As we’ve shared previously, we deeply value the First Amendment, including the rights of free speech, a free press, and the freedom to exercise religion,” the statement says. “We encourage and educate our students to engage thoughtfully and lawfully to advocate for their beliefs and values, raise awareness and contribute to constructive dialogue.”

    This article contains information from the Associated Press.

  • Philadelphia Parking Authority says citywide enforcement resumes on Tuesday

    Philadelphia Parking Authority says citywide enforcement resumes on Tuesday

    The Philadelphia Parking Authority will begin enforcing all parking regulations and resuming the towing and impoundment of illegally parked vehicles on Tuesday, the authority said.

    PPA enforcement of meter and time-limit violations has been relaxed since the night before the Jan. 25 snow and sleet storm, when the city declared a snow emergency. Only safety violations, such as parking next to fire hydrants, were enforced.

    Enforcement remained limited because the city still had piles of curbside snow throughout the city.

    Full enforcement will begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday, the authority said. Towing and impoundment of illegally parked vehicles also will resume Tuesday.

    The snow removal efforts are continuing, with the Streets Department announcing a temporary parking ban along a 1½-mile stretch of South Broad Street that will start at 7 a.m. Tuesday.

  • Parking restrictions planned for snow removal Tuesday on South Broad Street

    Parking restrictions planned for snow removal Tuesday on South Broad Street

    Parking restrictions along a 1½-mile stretch of South Broad Street will take effect at 7 a.m. Tuesday so the Streets Department can begin removing piles of curbside snow, the city said.

    Snow removal has gone slowly since the storm more than a week ago because of the ongoing deep freeze across the region.

    Parked vehicles must be moved from Broad between Washington and Oregon Avenues ahead of 7 a.m. to clear the way for a Streets Department “lifting operation” that will remove the snow, the city said.

    Free off-street parking will be available at lot U near Citizens Bank Park between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday, the city said. All vehicles must be moved from the parking lot by 6 p.m.

    It’s ‘Groundhog Day’ in Philly this week as snow and ice persist

    The operation, which will involve excavators and loaders, may temporarily disrupt traffic, the city said.

    “The Streets Department urges everyone traveling near this lifting operation, and others taking place across Philadelphia, to plan extra travel time, slow down, and help keep our crews safe by giving them plenty of space to do their work,” the department said.

  • A former Philly medic is charged with stealing from a dead woman

    A former Philly medic is charged with stealing from a dead woman

    A former Philadelphia Fire Department medic has been charged with stealing money from a 72-year-old woman who had been pronounced dead during the response to an apartment in Center City last year, District Attorney Larry Krasner said Friday.

    Gary Robb, 41, was charged in early December with misdemeanor theft and related crimes.

    A spokesperson for the fire department declined to comment on the case except to say that Robb no longer worked for the department.

    Robb could not be reached for comment Friday night.

    On Oct. 16, Robb was part of a medic response to an apartment building on the 1300 block of Lombard Street and encountered an unresponsive person who was later pronounced dead, Krasner said.

    The person who died was identified as Nanette Santilli by her niece, Nicolette Santilli Holt, 28, of Philadelphia.

    A video camera inside the home recorded Robb removing money from the dead person’s wallet and placing the money in his jacket pocket, the DA said.

    “The alleged incident is an egregious misuse of power,” Krasner said in a statement.

    “The men and women of the Philadelphia Fire Department are trusted public servants, and nothing alleged here diminishes the importance or integrity of their work. We will aggressively pursue the facts to ensure accountability and justice,” he said.

    The investigation is ongoing.

    Holt in an interview Friday night described her aunt as a generous person.

    “She was the absolute best: crazy, loud, loving, gentle, funny — just one of a kind,” Holt said.

    “She had a voice you couldn’t miss blocks away. She always had a loud set of keys, a roll of paper towels, and a Red Bull with her big handbag,” Holt said. “Truly one of a kind and would’ve helped anyone, so to see someone take advantage is a shame.”

  • Man pistol-whipped in head during snow-related argument over parking space in Kensington

    Man pistol-whipped in head during snow-related argument over parking space in Kensington

    A 45-year-old man was pistol-whipped during a snow-related altercation over a parking space Thursday afternoon in the city’s Kensington section, police said.

    Around 1:20 p.m., police responded to a report of a shooting on the 2700 block of A Street and found the man bleeding from a head injury, police said. The man identified two alleged perpetrators and was transported to Temple University Hospital.

    The alleged victim and a 21-year-old man had been involved in a snow-related argument over a parking space that escalated into a physical altercation, police said.

    During the fight, the older man produced a knife and the 21-year-old pulled out a legally owned handgun, police said. However, both men put their weapons down and continued fighting.

    A 36-year-old woman then retrieved a firearm from a vehicle, hit the victim on the head with it, and fired it into the ground, police said.

    The two alleged assailants were arrested and all the weapons were recovered by police.

    The incident remains under investigation, police said.

  • Former Willingboro mayor is found guilty of mortgage fraud

    Former Willingboro mayor is found guilty of mortgage fraud

    The former mayor of Willingboro Township and a business associate were found guilty by a federal jury of mortgage fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey said Wednesday.

    Nathaniel Anderson, 59, who is still a town councilman in Willingboro, and Chrisone D. Anderson, 58, of Sicklerville, were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, one count of bank fraud, and two counts of making a false statement on a mortgage application, said Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello from the prosecutor’s office.

    The jury deliberated for less than three hours after a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in federal court in Trenton, Lamparello said.

    Sentencing is scheduled for June 1. “Though we respect the jury’s decision, we plan to appeal this conviction to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals,” Troy A. Archie, attorney for Chrisone Anderson, said in an email.

    Anderson was represented by federal public defenders who could not be reached Wednesday night.

    The Andersons, who are not related, conspired to save Nathaniel Anderson’s home, which was facing foreclosure in 2015, by orchestrating a fraudulent short sale to Chrisone Anderson, prosecutors said.

    The scheme involved Chrisone Anderson posing as a buyer of the home and claiming that Nathaniel Anderson would no longer live there so that his mortgage lender would forgive the rest of his loan.

    The fraudulent misrepresentations included that Chrisone Anderson would occupy the home as her primary residence, prosecutors said.

    Nathaniel Anderson’s problems with his residency began in 2009 as he and his then-wife fell behind on mortgage payments, prosecutors said.

    The couple divorced, but Anderson wanted to keep his home through a short sale. That’s a process by which a mortgage lender agrees to write off the remaining debt of a mortgage holder in default — provided the holder can arrange a sale of the property to dispense with most of the remaining debt.

  • Two teens, ages 14 and 15, injured in North Philly shooting

    Two teens, ages 14 and 15, injured in North Philly shooting

    Two teenage boys, ages 14 and 15, were injured in a shooting Tuesday night in North Philadelphia, police said.

    The shooting, which happened shortly after 7 p.m. at the corner of 24th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue, was captured on surveillance video, said Chief Inspector Scott Small.

    The boys were walking toward a store at the corner when they appeared to get into a verbal altercation with another male, Small said.

    The shooter fired at least two times and then ran north on 24th Street, Small said. The 14-year-old was shot in the foot and the 15-year-old was shot in the abdomen.

    The teens, who are friends, then ran to a nearby house where one of them lives on the 2400 block of Turner Street, Small said. They were then taken by police to Temple University Hospital, where they were listed in stable condition.

    Police found one spent shell casing at the shooting scene, Small said.