Category: Crime & Justice

  • Police release images of suspect SUV in hit-and-run death of Temple University student

    Police release images of suspect SUV in hit-and-run death of Temple University student

    Philadelphia police on Tuesday released surveillance images of the white SUV suspected in a the fatal hit-and-run crash on Kelly Drive last month that killed 20-year-old Temple University student Bryce Wolfe.

    The unidentified driver dragged Wolfe for more than a mile on Kelly Drive, police said.

    The police department’s Crash Investigation Division released two images of what investigators believe is 2001-08 Chevrolet Trailblazer and a stock image that more clearly shows what the make and model looks like.

    Police said the white Trailblazer may have damage on the driver’s side with possible red paint transfer, a broken rear windshield, and a discolored passenger-side front wheel.

    A $10,000 reward funded by an anonymous donor is being offered to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver, Temple University president John Fry said last week.

    Wolfe, of Conyngham, a borough in Luzerne County, was an actuarial science major in the Fox School of Business and had just completed his sophomore year.

    Bryce Wolfe, 20, of Luzerne County, had just completed his sophomore year at Temple University when he was killed by a hit-and-run driver on Kelly Drive.

    Philadelphia police said they responded to a report of a crash at Kelly and Reservoir Drives around 11:15 p.m. on June 24.

    Wolfe was riding a red 2004 Triumph motorcycle when he was struck by a white SUV on Kelly Drive at Reservoir Drive. The eastbound SUV driver was trying to make an illegal turn onto Reservoir Drive, but then attempted to return to eastbound Kelly Drive when the SUV entered Wolfe’s westbound path.

    The 20-year-old became trapped beneath the SUV and was dragged to the area of Fountain Green Drive before he was dislodged from the SUV, police said. Wolfe was transported by medics to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and pronounced dead at 4:41 a.m. on June 25, police said.

    Lori Wolfe, Bryce’s mother, said in a text message Tuesday evening that she was hopeful that the case would be solved.

    “We feel this along with the 10k reward will help to give our son justice in finding the driver,” she said.

    A GoFundMe page has been created to help Bryce Wolfe’s family.

    Fry, Temple’s president, in a June 30 joint statement with Jodi Bailey Accavallo, vice president of student affairs, and Denise Wilhelm, interim vice president for public safety, said Wolfe “had quickly established a reputation as both an excellent student and engaged member of the Temple community,” maintaining a high grade-point average while being enrolled in both Temple and Fox Honors program.

    “Bryce was also deeply involved outside of class as he was a member of the student professional organization Gamma Iota Sigma and had recently started an internship with United States Liability Insurance Group,” Fry said.

    “There is no doubt that he had a very bright future ahead of him, and that’s what makes delivering this news especially difficult,” Fry said.

  • A Chester couple will face a county judge on murder charges in the death of their 2-year-old son

    A Chester couple will face a county judge on murder charges in the death of their 2-year-old son

    Cynthia Robinson and Frank Walton Sr. won back custody of their son, Frank Jr., in May 2025, Delaware County prosecutors said Tuesday.

    Six months later, the 2-year-old was dead, and the bruises and cuts that covered his young body told the story of the abuse he had been dealt in the weeks leading up to his killing, according to First Assistant District Attorney Kristin Kemp.

    Robinson, 37, and Walton, 57, were held for trial on charges of murder, conspiracy, and related crimes after an hours-long preliminary hearing before District Judge Dawn L. Vann.

    An autopsy revealed that Frank died in November from a laceration to his liver that caused significant internal bleeding, as well as bleeding in his brain that a forensic examiner said Tuesday was caused by either blunt trauma or severely shaking the boy.

    Those injuries, Kemp said, were caused by Robinson, who has a documented history of abusing all four of her children, and who had been seen beating and striking Frank whenever he cried at the couple’s house in Chester.

    Kemp said though Robinson dealt the fatal injuries, Walton was just as culpable — he waited to call 911 until the boy had died, despite seeing his condition worsen in the hours after the beating.

    Walton also agreed to lie to police and attempt to blame his son’s injuries on his then-3-year-old daughter, whom Robinson claimed had pushed the boy down the stairs, Kemp said. The girl, according to testimony Tuesday, had spent the entire day with Walton and had not been home.

    “They were afraid of law enforcement and investigators seeing that every aspect of that child had been abused,” Kemp said. “Only one thing could’ve happened with that baby, and that was his death.”

    Robinson’s attorney, Michael Dugan, said that there was no evidence his client had intended to kill her son.

    “At the end of the day, who calls 911? Mom. Who does CPR? Mom,” Dugan said. “I don’t think either one of these parents knew this child was dying, and when they knew his extreme condition, they called for help.”

    Walton’s attorney, Wana Saadzoi, asserted that the charges against him should be dropped — he had never been seen abusing his son, and the mortal injuries took place when he was out working.

    “He couldn’t have prevented it from happening if he wasn’t present,” she said. “This was a tragic failure that he was unable to appreciate the seriousness of his injuries.”

    But Kemp doubted that theory of the case, saying Walton was well aware of Robinson’s history of child abuse and should have done more to protect the toddler.

    “As a parent, you don’t get to bury your head in the sand,” she said. “You have an affirmative duty to intervene and save your child.”

    Frank was born prematurely, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his parents’ arrests, and tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl. He was placed in foster care as a result, but was returned to his parents in May 2025.

    Robinson’s half brother, Jason Weldon, testified Tuesday that he saw her carry Frank down the stairs by his T-shirt and drop him onto his back from about waist height hours before the boy died.

    He said he saw Robinson slap Frank and forcibly cover his mouth when he cried, and heard her say she was going to “beat this little [expletive].”

    Weldon testified that he threatened to report Robinson to county officials, but that she begged him not to because she did not want the boy to be taken away again.

    He said he told Walton about the abuse and that he needed to protect his kids.

    “If I would’ve known [Frank Jr. would be killed], I would’ve done something about it,” Weldon said.

    Weldon said he woke up on the night Frank died to see Robinson frantically performing CPR on the boy. And he was in the room when she told police that her daughter had pushed Frank down the stairs, he said, but he “didn’t think it went down that way.”

    An autopsy revealed that the injuries the boy sustained, especially the laceration to his liver, required force only an adult could apply, according to testimony Tuesday.

  • Philly police ID officer and man he fatally shot outside St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children

    Philly police ID officer and man he fatally shot outside St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children

    Philadelphia police on Monday identified both the officer and the 32-year-old man he fatally shot last week during a confrontation outside St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children.

    Joseph Smithers allegedly pulled a Smith and Wesson handgun from his waistband at a bus stop on Erie Avenue when he was shot multiple times by Officer Azieme Lindsey, the police department said.

    “He did not fire his weapon,” Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said Thursday evening about Smithers.

    A 29-year-old woman, identified last week by Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel as Smithers’ girlfriend, sustained a graze wound to her neck. She was taken to Temple University Hospital to be treated. Bethel said Thursday evening that she was in good condition.

    Lindsey and a second responding officer both had body-worn cameras that were activated during the encounter, the department said Monday.

    Lindsey, 28, was placed on administrative duty while the shooting was being investigated by the police department and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.

    Just after 10:20 a.m. Thursday, two police officers responded to the area of St. Christopher’s after being dispatched for a report of a person with a weapon, the department said Monday.

    It was later determined that the original 911 caller, described as a family member, had contacted police out of concern that Smithers was experiencing a mental health crisis and was suicidal, the department said.

    It was also later determined that around the time of the 911 call from the family member, Smithers had been told by security that he was not allowed in the hospital because he had been asked to leave the day before and was no longer permitted on the property, the department said.

    No explanation has been given for why Smithers was asked to leave on Wednesday, but Bethel said last week that Smithers was there because his son was at the hospital.

    Smithers was “left without incident” when hospital security turned him away on Thursday, the department said.

    “The hospital was at no time under threat,” Bethel said Thursday evening.

    When Lindsey and the second officer — who were in full uniform and in a marked police vehicle — arrived at the hospital, they were met by a security officer who directed them to the nearby bus stop where Smithers was last seen, the department said.

    As Lindsay exited the patrol vehicle, Smithers allegedly began moving backward while also pulling the gun, the department said. Lindsay then fired, striking Smithers multiple times.

    Smithers was transported to Temple hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:44 a.m. Thursday.

    The department said the handgun was legally possessed by Smithers, who had a permit to carry a concealed firearm.

  • Former strength coach charged with criminal hazing in death of Bucknell University football player

    Former strength coach charged with criminal hazing in death of Bucknell University football player

    A former strength coach at Bucknell University was charged Monday with criminal hazing in the 2024 death of Calvin “CJ” Dickey Jr., an 18-year-old freshman football player with a known medical condition who collapsed after being required to perform drills until he passed out, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said.

    Mark Kulbis, 34, who worked for Bucknell at the time, surrendered to authorities late Monday morning and was arraigned on the charges, Sunday said. Bail for Kulbis was set at $10,000 unsecured.

    Dickey, originally from Florida, was participating in the first day of freshman football practice for the university in Lewisburg, Pa., on July 10, 2024, “when he was directed to do extensive calisthenics, which put him in risk of death due to his sickle cell trait,” the attorney general’s office said.

    Kulbis allegedly “subjected Dickey to the hazing, even after being made aware of Dickey’s medical condition and receiving training from the university on sickle cell trait and state law and NCAA standards regarding hazing,” Sunday’s office said.

    Dickey was required to perform 100 “up-downs” and several full-body plank drills: “both considered extraneous calisthenic exercises. This was done in spite of training and direction from other coaches that such exercises were not appropriate or safe for use as part of training,” the attorney general’s office said.

    Dickey, who was recruited to play lineman positions, “was visibly struggling with the exercises and Kulbis, the only coach in the training room, did not summon help until Dickey passed out,” Sunday’s office said.

    Photo of Calvin “CJ” Dickey Jr. The 18-year-old died in 2024 after collapsing on the first day of freshman football practice for Bucknell University.

    Dickey was hospitalized, but died on July 12, 2024. An autopsy determined that Dickey’s death “was caused by Kulbis subjecting Dickey to the exercises in combination with Dickey’s Sickle Cell trait, body weight, and exertional rhabdomyolysis,” the attorney general’s office said.

    “This is an extraordinary tragedy, worsened by the fact that C.J.’s death was preventable,” Sunday said in a statement.

    The sickle cell trait can make intense exercise dangerous in certain situations. It used to be the leading cause of death in college football, but the rate of death associated with it among Division I football players dropped by nearly 90% after the NCAA began requiring testing and education in 2010, according to a report published in Sports Health Journal.

    NCAA guidelines say coaches should allow student athletes to set their own pace, build up slowly while training, and rest and recover between intense bouts of exercise.

    The criminal case was referred to state prosecutors last year by the Union County District Attorney, Sunday said. The campus in Lewisburg, located about a hour north of Harrisburg, is located in Union County.

    In an emailed statement, Bucknell University said Monday that university officials were aware of the criminal charges announced against Kulbis.

    “Bucknell has cooperated with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office throughout its investigation,” the university said.

    “Because this is now an active criminal matter, and related civil litigation remains pending, the university will not comment on the allegations or legal proceedings,” the university said.

    “We continue to remember Calvin ‘CJ’ Dickey, Jr. and extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends,” Bucknell said.

    Barbara Zemlock, an attorney for Kulbis, could not be reached for comment. ESPN reported that Zemlock provided a statement defending Kulbis.

    “While the death of Calvin Dickey is tragic, Mark Kulbis did not contribute to it and is not responsible for it,” Zemlock told ESPN.

    “The strength and conditioning program that was implemented was appropriate and in accordance with the training that Mr. Kulbis received, and with applicable standards.”

    Zemlock added: “There are facts and other circumstances surrounding this matter that, once presented at the appropriate time, will demonstrate that Mr. Kulbis did not commit the crimes charged,” and that “we intend to vigorously defend the charges.”

    Late last month, a federal judge allowed a lawsuit to proceed against Bucknell University filed by Dickey’s parents.

    Kulbis was charged with felony aggravated hazing and misdemeanor counts of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and hazing. Sunday said.

    The aggravated hazing charge was made into Pennsylvania law in response to the 2017 hazing death of Penn State University student Tim Piazza.

    “This law exists because it recognizes what hazing is: criminal conduct that, in the best possible scenario, humiliates and dehumanizes an individual — and at its worst, takes lives and leaves families and friends forever devastated,” Sunday said.

  • Northeast Philly mosque damaged in arson attack, authorities say

    Northeast Philly mosque damaged in arson attack, authorities say

    A Northeast Philadelphia mosque was damaged in an arson attack early Sunday morning, authorities said, rattling the city’s Islamic community.

    The attack took place around 2 a.m. at the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center in the city’s Castor Gardens neighborhood, according to police.

    Fire crews responded to the mosque, located on the 1400 block of Tyson Avenue, and extinguished a blaze in the building’s enclosed front porch that morning.

    The mosque was unoccupied and no one was injured, police said.

    Fire marshals soon determined that the fire had been set intentionally. They are investigating the incident alongside the police department, which had not identified a suspect in the case as of Monday afternoon.

    Meanwhile, local Islamic leaders are hoping members of the public will come forward with information about the attack, as they urge law enforcement to investigate whether the perpetrator was motivated by religious bias or hate.

    “Our mosque is more than a place of worship,” said Masukul Islam Khan, the mosque’s president. “It is a welcoming community center that has served families, neighbors, and people of all backgrounds for many years.”

    “Any act of violence or hatred directed at a house of worship is an attack on the values of safety, religious freedom, and unity that our city cherishes,” he added.

    The local chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved with the attack.

    CAIR on Monday released a video taken in the aftermath of the blaze that shows the mosque’s porch damaged, covered in ash and soot.

    The group also released surveillance footage that shows a man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt approaching the mosque, located outside the frame, before quickly walking away.

    “An attack on any house of worship is an attack on the constitutional promise of religious freedom that belongs to every American,” said Ahmet Tekelioglu, executive director of CAIR. “It’s additionally saddening that this attack came just as the nation commemorated the 250th year of its founding.”

    The Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center was established in 2004 and has grown from a small place of worship to a bustling community where hundreds attend weekly prayers gatherings.

    The arson comes as the mosque’s leadership seeks to construct a new, $2.8 million facility on a neighboring lot to accommodate an increase in membership.

    In 2025, CAIR’s national office released a report documenting more than 8,600 anti-Muslim bias complaints from that year, the highest amount since the organization began tracking such information in 1996.

  • A former Defense Department employee pleaded guilty to laundering money for Nigerian scammers

    A former Defense Department employee pleaded guilty to laundering money for Nigerian scammers

    A former Department of Defense employee from Oreland pleaded guilty Monday to helping Nigerian scammers launder millions of dollars they collected during phishing or extortion operations.

    Samuel D. Marcus, 33, was arrested earlier this year and charged with crimes including conspiracy and money laundering. Prosecutors said he served as a “money mule” for fraudsters who used aliases to target victims in schemes including cyber or tax fraud, romance fraud, or attacks on business email addresses.

    The FBI said those types of crimes cost Americans more than $20 billion last year, with scammers targeting vulnerable people using a variety of tactics designed to exploit or steal peoples’ personal information and money. The Pew Research Center said nearly three-quarters of American adults have been subjected to some form of online fraud, such as credit card fraud, ransomware, or unwittingly giving away personal information.

    Marcus knew that the fraudsters he was interacting with — who used the names “Rachel Jude” and “Ned McMurray” — were committing sophisticated digital crimes, prosecutors said, in part because he was first targeted by those same fraudsters in an online romance scam.

    Still, Marcus went on to help the scammers collect and transfer millions of dollars through bank accounts he created and into overseas accounts or cryptocurrency exchanges between 2023 and 2025.

    Prosecutors did not say how much Marcus was able to keep for himself, but said in court documents that he was able to collect small amounts from each transaction. At the time, prosecutors said, he was also working as a logistics specialist for the Department of Defense.

    He continued committing his crimes even after FBI agents told him that money passing through his accounts had been stolen from other people, prosecutors said.

    Marcus said little in court Monday beyond responding to routine legal questions from U.S. District Judge Joel H. Slomsky, and he has been held in federal custody since earlier this year.

    He is scheduled to be sentenced in October.

  • Sharon Hill police killed his cousin. Now he is Delaware County’s new reform-minded sheriff

    Sharon Hill police killed his cousin. Now he is Delaware County’s new reform-minded sheriff

    Siddiq Kamara remembers standing side by side with his aunt outside of the Delaware County courthouse and calling for changes in how police are trained after a stray bullet fired by Sharon Hill police officers killed his cousin Fanta Bility.

    Three years later, his office is inside that same building.

    Kamara, 30, became the youngest sheriff in Delaware County history when he cruised to victory in November with 63% of the vote. The son of Liberian immigrants, Kamara turned his family’s tragedy into a platform for improving the way community policing is carried out in his home county.

    “The people in Delaware County, I’m here to work with them, and my office is going to do that every single day,” he said.

    “This is the greatest country in the world. Being 30, being Muslim, being a first-generation immigrant and being the sheriff of one of the biggest counties in Pennsylvania, it’s unheard of. And I don’t take that lightly.”

    In his first six months in office, Kamara equipped all of his deputies with body cameras and beefed up recruiting efforts, including open fitness tests throughout the county, to help fill the 35 vacancies he inherited. He’s mandated de-escalation and regular firearms training for his deputies, in memory of his cousin.

    Siddiq Kamara (left) stood by his aunt, Tenneh Kromah, in January 2025 as they renamed a park in Sharon Hill after his cousin Fanta Bility.

    Delaware County Council President Monica Taylor said Kamara is bringing a fresh perspective to a row office that often gets overlooked.

    “He doesn’t just talk. He does the work,” Taylor said. “That’s what makes him a great public servant. He’s bringing everyone to the table to make these improvements.”

    That’s notable for a county sheriff, given the role traditionally, doesn’t require officials to stray too far beyond the county courthouse. But Kamara wants to change that, making sure he and his deputies are a frequent presence in the towns they serve.

    That desire comes from Kamara’s own experience. After serving six years in the Army National Guard, Kamara became a police officer in Yeadon. He later took a job in the state Attorney General’s Office, working in various roles including narcotics and the personal protection detail for then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

    Kamara’s cultural background and linguistic skills — he speaks African dialects including Mandingo and Fula, as well as French — were called upon by federal investigators as they built their case against Laye Sekou Camara, a Liberian war criminal.

    He said he became a police officer because so many people in his community in Upper Darby, drawing on their experiences in their home countries, were distrustful of police.

    “We interact with the public every single day, and sometimes these individuals, we’re not getting them at their happiest time. It’s their most vulnerable time, and you have to use empathy,” he said. “So we’ve been sending some of our supervisors to trainings so they can understand the tools when they’re out there in the community and they can teach their fellow colleagues how to de-escalate situations.”

    But when Fanta Bility was gunned down in August 2021, Kamara’s professional ambitions changed. The 8-year-old was struck by a stray bullet after three Sharon Hill officers opened fire toward a crowd leaving a high school football game. They were aiming at a car they mistakenly believed was the source of a nearby shooting.

    Those officers were later fired and pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment. But Kamara knew something had to change.

    “If you understand what happened that day to my cousin, cops, unfortunately, we can’t make mistakes. It costs people’s lives,“ he said. ”And, that day, it cost my cousin’s life, so I wanted to make sure that in my capacity, as the sheriff, our officers are properly trained.”

    Siddiq Kamara speaks during a backpack giveaway at Sharon Hill Elementary School in August 2023 held in memory of Fanta Bility.

    State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, a Democrat who sponsored a bill nicknamed “Fanta’s Law” that would require all Delaware County police departments to be accredited and receive annual use-of-force training, has been a mentor and friend to Kamara for years.

    “Back then, he was annoying,” Williams joked. “But he learned from my team, and it grew from him just being unapologetically persistent and curious, to him understanding he has a real value.”

    From Kamara’s early days of volunteering at political events, it was clear to Williams that he was dedicated to public service. “Fanta’s Law,” Williams said, is their latest collaboration.

    “He’s here to improve things, not just here to say ‘I have a title and have a position,’” Williams said. “It’s clear he wants to find out how to use this position to improve the office and also improve the lives of people who don’t even know about the office.”

    Kamara, for his part, said he’s thankful for the opportunity to enact change in the county that raised him.

    “When you’re in an office, and I teach my deputies this all the time, is that we do the protection part, but we’ll forget sometimes about serving,” he said. “And serving goes a long way.”

  • Philadelphia police shoot, kill man outside St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children

    Philadelphia police shoot, kill man outside St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children

    Police shot and killed a man outside St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in North Philadelphia on Thursday, authorities said.

    Officers were called to the hospital shortly before 10:30 a.m. for a report by hospital staff of an “irate man,” said Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel.

    At a briefing with the media Thursday evening, Bethel clarified that the man, whose name and age were not released, did not threaten anyone at the hospital.

    “The hospital was at no time under threat,” Bethel said.

    The man was at the hospital yesterday related to something involving a “child in the hospital,” Bethel said, then later adding that it was the man’s son.

    The man was asked to leave Wednesday, and when he returned Thursday, he was not allowed to enter the hospital, said Bethel, who did not elaborate on why the man was asked to leave.

    But when he returned Thursday, “he did not threaten” staff and was “compliant.”

    Shortly thereafter, a relative called police and reported that the man was suicidal and may have a gun, Bethel said.

    Police drove to the bus stop on Erie Avenue outside the hospital where the man was and an officer was just exiting from the passenger side of a police vehicle when the man allegedly pulled out a gun, Bethel said. The officer then fired.

    The man was transported to Temple University Hospital, where he later died. Bethel said a gun was recovered at the scene.

    A woman standing next to the man, who Bethel described as his girlfriend, was grazed by a bullet. He said she was in good condition.

    “He did not fire his weapon,” Bethel said about the man.

    The officer who fatally shot the man was placed on administrative duty while the shooting is investigated.

    At an earlier media briefing, Bethel described the shooting as a tragedy that unfolded in a matter of minutes.

    He added: “We have a lot to sort through,” including the mental state of the man who was killed. “He may have been going through some mental issue,” Bethel said.

    No patients or hospital staff were injured, said hospital spokesperson Bill Tierney. The man who was shot did not come inside the hospital, he said.

    The hospital initially went into a lockdown, which has since been lifted, Tierney said. Some entrances to the hospital were closed during the initial police investigation but they had reopened by Thursday afternoon, he said.

    Police have not released the name, age, or rank of the officer who discharged his weapon.

    Michael Lopez, a senior staffer at a sports complex across the street from the hospital, said he heard about a half dozen gunshots. Initially mistaking the gunfire for July Fourth fireworks, Lopez said he came out to Erie Avenue, where he saw a throng of police officers — and a woman he said appeared to be bleeding from her neck.

    “It was gruesome,” Lopez said.

    Thursday’s shooting was the second fatal shooting by a Philadelphia police officer in less than three weeks.

    On June 14, three officers were injured and Eric Franks was fatally wounded after exchanging gunfire in the Wynnefield neighborhood of West Philadelphia. The officers — who were shot in the hip, leg, and face — were hospitalized and recovered, police said.

    Their names had not been released as of Thursday because of an active threat assessment, said police spokesperson Sgt. Eric Gripp.

    — Staff writer Robert Moran contributed to this article.

  • Burlington County man caught in child trafficking sting drove an hour to have sex with underage girl, DA says

    Burlington County man caught in child trafficking sting drove an hour to have sex with underage girl, DA says

    Christopher Reynolds thought he was talking to a woman looking to exchange money for sex with her 13-year-old daughter, Bucks County prosecutors said Thursday.

    Reynolds was adamant about certain graphic details while negotiating the price for the encounter, and even offered a higher rate so the woman could buy her daughter an emergency contraceptive pill, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest.

    But in reality, Reynolds was speaking to an undercover detective who investigates human trafficking. And Reynolds, 35, was arrested late Wednesday after driving nearly an hour from New Jersey to a motel in Bensalem.

    Reynolds, of Browns Mills, Burlington County, has been charged with criminal attempt to engage or perform a commercial sex act with a minor, criminal attempt to commit trafficking in individuals, and related crimes. He was held in lieu of $500,000 bail, and there was no indication that he had hired an attorney.

    District Attorney Joe Khan said Reynolds’ arrest “sends an unmistakable message to those who look to prey on children in our communities.”

    “This is the exact kind of proactive, aggressive enforcement the public can expect from our office’s revamped anti-trafficking operation,” he said. “We are going to use every tool and technology at our disposal, and we will continue to hunt down those who attempt to exploit vulnerable individuals.”

    Investigators say the undercover detective first started communicating with Reynolds on Tuesday, after he responded to an ad on a website offering “taboo” with an underage girl, the affidavit said.

    After negotiating the price and duration of the encounter, Reynolds agreed to meet the girl’s mother at a motel on Lincoln Highway. He nearly called off the appointment when detectives declined to send nude images of the girl, but relented when they sent a digitally de-aged photo of a female detective.

    Investigators arrested Reynolds as soon as he entered the motel, the affidavit said. He was carrying $300 and a bottle of Mountain Dew, items the undercover detective told him to bring to the meeting while posing as the girl’s mother.

    Reynolds is scheduled to appear before a district judge for his preliminary hearing on July 16.

  • Temple University IDs student killed by hit-and-run driver on Kelly Drive

    Temple University IDs student killed by hit-and-run driver on Kelly Drive

    Temple University on Tuesday identified a 20-year-old student who was killed last week by a hit-and-run driver on Kelly Drive.

    Bryce Wolfe, of Conyngham, a borough in Luzerne County, was an actuarial science major in the Fox School of Business and had just completed his sophomore year, said Temple President John Fry in a joint statement to the university community with Jodi Bailey Accavallo, vice president of student affairs, and Denise Wilhelm, interim vice president for public safety.

    Wolfe was riding a motorcycle when he was struck by a vehicle believed to be a white SUV, his parents said in an interview late Tuesday night.

    The unidentified driver dragged Wolfe for more than a mile on Kelly Drive, Clarence Wolfe III said.

    “We’re committed to getting justice for our son,” Lori Wolfe said.

    Philadelphia police said they responded to a report of a crash at Kelly and Reservoir Drives around 11:15 p.m. on June 24.

    Police said they believe the driver of a white SUV was traveling east on Kelly Drive and was trying to make an illegal turn onto Reservoir Drive, but then attempted to return to eastbound Kelly Drive when the SUV entered the westbound path of the red 2004 Triumph motorcycle Wolfe was riding.

    Wolfe became trapped beneath the SUV and was dragged to the area of Fountain Green Drive before his body was dislodged from the SUV, police said.

    Wolfe was transported by medics to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and pronounced dead at 4:41 a.m. on June 25, police said.

    The suspected SUV sustained damage on the driver’s side and damage to the driver’s-side front wheel well, fender, and possibly driver’s-side door, police said.

    “Thanks to an anonymous donor, there is a $10,000 reward available for information leading to an arrest and conviction,” Fry said.

    Anyone with information about the case can contact police at 215-686-TIPS (8477), Fry said.

    Wolfe “had quickly established a reputation as both an excellent student and engaged member of the Temple community,” maintaining a high grade-point average while being enrolled in both Temple and Fox Honors program, Fry said.

    “Bryce was also deeply involved outside of class as he was a member of the student professional organization Gamma Iota Sigma and had recently started an internship with United States Liability Insurance Group,” Fry said.

    “There is no doubt that he had a very bright future ahead of him, and that’s what makes delivering this news especially difficult,” Fry said.