Philadelphia local news, sports, jobs, cars, homes

Tag: topic-link-auto

  • House of the week: A three-bedroom rowhouse in East Falls for $415,000

    House of the week: A three-bedroom rowhouse in East Falls for $415,000

    For Sarina Sims, the four years spent in the East Falls rowhouse and the surrounding neighborhood was “like a warm hug.”

    For her wife, Phoebe Sims, leaving will be “kind of bittersweet.”

    But their well-planned stay in Philadelphia is ending as they return to their native North Jersey. They had wanted to try something different for a few years and “Philly seemed like a great option,” Phoebe said.

    The living room has hardwood floors and an exposed brick wall.

    Sarina is a producer of music festivals and other live events, and Phoebe is in learning and development for a restaurant chain.

    They had never heard of East Falls, but while walking in Manayunk they met a man who recommended it. Reasons included easier parking, less noise, and room for their two dogs to roam.

    The backyard, which has a brick patio and outdoor fireplace.

    The three bedroom, two-bathroom house, built in 1939, has 1,183 square feet of living space.

    The tiled entryway leads to the living room with hardwood floors, and an exposed brick wall. A “bonus room” connected to the living area could serve as a home office.

    The dining room can accommodate a large table, and the kitchen has granite counter tops, tile flooring, and updated appliances including a Samsung four-door refrigerator, a five-burner gas range, and chrome hardware.

    The kitchen has granite counter tops, tile flooring, and updated appliances.

    The bedrooms are on the second floor. The primary has bay windows and two closets.

    The backyard has a brick patio and outdoor fireplace.

    The primary bedroom has bay windows and two closets.

    The house is a short ride to Main Street Manayunk and Thomas Jefferson University. The East Falls SEPTA Regional Rail station is walkable.

    It is listed by Evan Frisina of Compass Realty for $415,000.

  • St. Patrick’s Day reminds Philadelphia of its immigrant roots, and its responsibility today

    St. Patrick’s Day reminds Philadelphia of its immigrant roots, and its responsibility today

    Every year, St. Patrick’s Day turns Philadelphia green.

    Crowds gather along the Parkway. Families celebrate in neighborhoods shaped by generations of Irish Americans. We honor a heritage that is now inseparable from the city’s identity — a story of resilience, faith, and hard work that helped build Philadelphia into what it is today.

    For me, that story is personal.

    My parents were Irish immigrants who settled in Philadelphia in search of opportunity and stability. By the time they arrived, earlier waves of Irish families had established strong neighborhoods, parishes, and institutions. My parents found jobs, community, and a sense of belonging. They raised their children here and became part of the fabric of the city.

    But the welcome Irish immigrants eventually experienced was not always guaranteed.

    A detail of the “Irish Memorial An Gorta Mor (The Great Hunger)” in Foglietta Park. The aspirations of immigrants today are not so different from those of the Irish families who once arrived at the port of Philadelphia with little more than determination and hope, writes Anna Gallagher.

    In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Irish newcomers often faced suspicion and discrimination. They were portrayed as outsiders and told they did not belong. Over time, through perseverance and the support of local communities, they became integral to Philadelphia’s civic and economic life. Today, their story is celebrated as part of the American immigrant narrative.

    That history is worth remembering, especially now.

    Across the country and here in Pennsylvania, immigrant families are navigating an increasingly complex and uncertain landscape. Many are longtime residents who work, pay taxes, and contribute to their communities. Others are seeking refuge from violence or instability abroad. All are striving for the same things previous generations sought: safety, opportunity, and the chance to build a future for their children.

    The Irish immigrant experience is often remembered as a story of eventual success. But that success was not inevitable, writes Anna Gallagher.

    Yet many face significant barriers. Access to legal representation remains limited. Immigration policies shift quickly, creating confusion and instability. Families live with the fear that a routine encounter could separate parents from children. Employers struggle to retain valued workers. Entire neighborhoods feel the ripple effects of uncertainty.

    As executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., the nation’s largest network of nonprofit immigration legal services providers, I see both the challenges and the promise every day. I see mothers seeking asylum, fathers working multiple jobs to support their families, and young people who have grown up in this country hoping to fully belong. I also see the extraordinary contributions immigrants continue to make to cities like Philadelphia.

    Immigrants start businesses, work in hospitals and construction sites, care for the elderly, and teach in classrooms. They strengthen the local economy and revitalize neighborhoods. Their aspirations are not so different from those of the Irish families who once arrived at the port of Philadelphia with little more than determination and hope.

    St. Patrick’s Day offers a moment to reflect on that continuity.

    The Irish immigrant experience is often remembered as a story of eventual success. But that success was not inevitable. It was made possible by communities willing to open doors, institutions willing to offer support, and policies that allowed families to put down roots.

    Philadelphia has long been renewed by newcomers. From South Philadelphia to Northeast neighborhoods and beyond, immigrants have shaped the city’s culture, economy, and civic life. That pattern continues today, if we choose to sustain it.

    This is not simply about honoring heritage. It is about shared prosperity. Cities thrive when families feel secure enough to invest in their neighborhoods, pursue education, and contribute fully to community life. They thrive when longtime residents and newcomers alike see themselves as part of a shared story.

    Green-wearing Mayor Cherelle L. Parker is with State Sen. Sharif Street (right) during the annual Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2025.

    As we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Philadelphia has an opportunity to honor its immigrant roots in a meaningful way. That means supporting policies that keep families together and create fair, orderly pathways through our immigration system. It means expanding access to legal representation so individuals can navigate that system effectively. And it means fostering a civic culture that recognizes immigrants not as outsiders, but as neighbors and fellow Philadelphians.

    My parents’ journey from Ireland to Philadelphia is one story among many. It is a story of welcome, hard work, and belonging. The question before us now is whether we will help ensure that today’s immigrant families have the same chance to contribute, to build, and to call this city home.

    Immigration is not just part of Philadelphia’s past. It is central to its present, and vital to its future.

    Anna Gallagher is executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. (CLINIC). Born in Philadelphia to Irish immigrant parents, she is a nationally recognized expert on immigration and refugee policy and a longtime advocate for the rights and dignity of migrants.

  • Letters to the Editor | March 17, 2026

    Letters to the Editor | March 17, 2026

    A senseless war

    In Sunday’s Opinion section, Joe Sestak, Trudy Rubin, and Will Bunch laid out a very convincing accounting of the senselessness of another “endless” war in the Middle East. They also highlighted the lack of understanding that President Donald Trump and his administration have of the history and culture of that part of the world. Given this, why has Congress failed to exercise its constitutional responsibility to end this unlawful war? About 13% of our tax dollars go to funding a military that blindly obeys the orders of a bully president. War is not the answer. Sincere, peaceful, intelligent negotiations, and sensitivity to the needs of the people through community building initiatives are ways to avoid war. Resources spent on military actions could be redirected to address pressing social issues in the U.S., such as poverty, housing, and education.

    Bruce Charlick, Jenkintown

    …

    The Inquirer has performed an outstanding public service by publishing three first-rate opinion pieces about the misguided war in Iran. Joe Sestak provides detail and context about issues such as access to rare earth minerals that hardly ever get attention in news coverage. He chillingly highlights the dominant position that China has achieved while the president’s been out playing golf.

    Inquirer regulars Will Bunch and Trudy Rubin once again offer insights and perspective that all of us really need if we are to respond intelligently to the madness of our deranged president.

    Thank you for your journalistic excellence.

    Laslo Boyd, Philadelphia

    …

    In her most recent column, Trudy Rubin expressed outrage at reports that Russia may be providing Iran with intelligence on locations of U.S. troops. If true, we should all be furious — Russian collusion with Iran puts American service members directly in harm’s way.

    Yet instead of imposing tougher penalties on Russia or strengthening U.S. support for Ukraine, Donald Trump has eased sanctions.

    Meanwhile, lives have already been lost and Americans face the risk of retaliation from a war of choice launched without an imminent threat from Iran.

    Politically, economically, and morally, this “little excursion” is already proving to be a grave mistake.

    Maria Duca, Philadelphia

    Special measures

    As a pediatric rheumatologist in Philadelphia, I care for children living with complex, chronic autoimmune diseases, like juvenile arthritis and lupus, which can cause lifelong pain and disability without timely treatment. But across Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey, too many families are waiting months or being forced to travel across state lines to get their child the care they need.

    That’s because there are only a handful of pediatric rheumatologists in our state, with some regions having none at all. The shortage is growing worse still as a result of inflation, administrative burdens, and outdated physician reimbursement rates. We have created a system that discourages physicians from entering or staying in fields like pediatric rheumatology — and it’s children who are paying the price.

    It’s time for our leaders in Washington to modernize physician payment to ensure updates that reflect the true cost of care and support the next generation of pediatric specialists. Without reform, families in Pennsylvania and beyond will face longer waits, longer drives, and worsening outcomes for children who deserve better.

    Jay Mehta, Philadelphia

    Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.

  • Aaron Nola: Team Italy’s surprising run in World Baseball Classic was ‘some of the best times I’ve ever had’

    Aaron Nola: Team Italy’s surprising run in World Baseball Classic was ‘some of the best times I’ve ever had’

    MIAMI — As a way of summarizing Aaron Nola’s two-start guest spot with Italy’s national baseball team, let’s borrow a phrase that fans in his adopted country can appreciate.

    Venit, vidit, vicit.

    Because Nola came from Phillies camp. He saw lineups filled with major league stars. And he did his part to help Italy conquer, leaving with a one-run lead after four innings in the World Baseball Classic semifinal here Monday night.

    As it turned out, though, this wasn’t Julius Caesar at the Battle of Zela. Fueled by a potent, relentless, and frenetic offense, Venezuela ran down Italy’s Cinderella run, scoring three times in the seventh inning for a 4-2 victory that kicked off a party among a partisan — and deafeningly loud — sellout crowd in South Florida.

    Bryce Harper one step away from winning a title after Team USA tops Dominican Republic to reach WBC final

    Next up for the Venezuelans: Team USA for the gold medal — yes, they actually receive medals — at 8 p.m. Tuesday night.

    And for the Italians (or in most cases, Italian Americans)? Only fond memories from what many described as two of the best weeks of their careers. That included Nola, a veteran of 11 major league seasons and four consecutive playoff appearances with the Phillies.

    “It was super cool. Super cool,” Nola said. “We had the time of our lives, man. Some of the best times I’ve ever had.”

    Say this for Team Italy: It was the darling of the two-week tournament, with an espresso machine in the dugout and contributions up and down the lineup. (Phillies outfield prospect Dante Nori, for instance, went 8-for-20 with two homers and an 1.185 OPS.)

    Initially, manager Francisco Cervelli planned to roll with Michael Lorenzen against Venezuela, but with a taxed bullpen, he went with Aaron Nola on regular (four days) rest.

    And Nola was more than a pitching ringer, even if his initial interest in competing was, in part, to use the intensity of the WBC as a testing lab after making adjustments to his throwing program off the worst season of his career.

    On that count, Nola was mostly, well, eccelente.

    Last Wednesday, he cranked up his fastball to 94.5 mph, uncorked his signature curveball, and dominated Mexico for five scoreless innings to push Italy to the top seed in pool play over the U.S. Against Venezuela, he wasn’t as sharp. He topped out at 94.1 mph, got only two swings and misses, and left a curveball up for Eugenio Suárez’s solo homer in the third inning.

    Yet, he struck out three batters, all on curveballs. He got longtime nemesis Ronald Acuña Jr. (16-for-52 with four homers and a 1.025 OPS in his career against him) looking at a curveball in the third inning. And he left with a 2-1 lead.

    “I kind of felt out of whack today, but battled as best as I could,” Nola said. “I tried to get the sinker down later on. Felt like that was kind of the only thing working. I got some ground balls with it and kept the guys in the game as best I could.”

    Kyle Schwarber’s presence in the Team USA dugout has kept ‘everybody calm’ during World Baseball Classic run

    Nola also threw only 59 pitches, 10 less than his previous start. The plan, he said, was not to go more than five innings or 80 pitches. But manager Francisco Cervelli opted for a pitching gambit to compensate for a taxed bullpen.

    Rather than starting former Phillies righty Michael Lorenzen against Venezuela and saving Nola for the final, if Italy advanced, Cervelli split the game between them. He used Nola for four innings and tried to get four from Lorenzen. But Jackson Chourio, Acuña, Maikel Garcia, and Luis Arraez notched consecutive singles in the seventh to nearly blow the retractable roof off loanDepot Park.

    Regardless, Nola said he was satisfied with the workload in what amounted to his penultimate start before the season.

    “Overall, my body and arm feels good,” he said. “I mean, I’m built up.”

    Phillies prospect Dante Nori was among the standout players for Italy in the World Baseball Classic.

    Besides, as Nola discovered, the tournament was about something bigger than tuning up for the season.

    “There was a lot of people watching — watching in Italy,” he said. “That was a big goal, to bring more baseball to Italy. And we did. I think most of the American guys in this clubhouse don’t really understand what we did for that country.”

    Nola hasn’t been to Italy. He qualified to represent the country in the WBC because his great-grandparents on his father’s side were from Italy (the Campania region in the south, to be exact). It was supposed to be a family affair. Nola’s brother, Austin, signed up to play but withdrew after getting hired as the Mariners’ bullpen coach.

    But as Nola put it, he left the tournament with two dozen new brothers. And before they went their separate ways, they spent about 90 minutes together in the clubhouse after the game to reflect on the last two weeks.

    “Nobody thought we were going to make it this far, and we did,” Nola said. “We’ve got a great group of guys. I love all those guys in there. I’m really glad I played.”

    For more reasons than he ever imagined.

  • Ocean County College dean charged with sex assault of minor, prosecutors say

    Ocean County College dean charged with sex assault of minor, prosecutors say

    A man who recently served as a dean at Ocean County College was charged with sexually assaulting a minor, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office said Monday.

    James Hadley, of Barnegat in Ocean County, was arrested Friday when he allegedly traveled to Pleasantville in Atlantic County to meet the juvenile for a sex act, the prosecutor’s office said. Hadley was described as 66 years old, but public records indicate that he is 65.

    Earlier this year, Hadley became the dean of the School of Business and Social Sciences at Ocean County College.

    In an emailed statement Monday night, the college said it was informed by law enforcement on Friday afternoon about “the situation regarding James Hadley.”

    The statement continued: “Upon receiving this information, we took immediate action and placed Mr. Hadley on a suspension and restricted him from campus. An interim dean has been appointed.”

    Ocean County College said it has “no record of complaints or reports concerning his conduct while employed with our College. As an open active investigation is pending, the College will not be offering further comment at this time. We are fully cooperating with any police inquiry.”

    The prosecutor’s office said that based on three alleged incidents this month, Hadley was charged with second-degree sexual assault of a victim under the age of 16, second-degree luring a minor to commit a sexual act, third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact.

    The investigation showed Hadley had previously met the child to engage in sexual acts that he paid the child to perform, the prosecutor’s office said.

    The case, which remains open, was investigated by the Pleasantville Police Department with assistance from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Victims Unit.

  • Report: La Salle’s top scorer Rob Dockery is entering the transfer portal

    Report: La Salle’s top scorer Rob Dockery is entering the transfer portal

    La Salle guard Rob Dockery is entering the transfer portal, according to a report from League Ready.

    The redshirt sophomore was one of the few bright spots for La Salle, who finished 9-23 under first year head coach Darris Nichols. Dockery averaged a team-high 12.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.

    Dockery was in and out of La Salle’s starting lineup in nonconference play before becoming a regular starter during Atlantic 10 conference play. On March 9, he was named the Big 5 Player of the Week after scoring 25 points in back-to-back games against Fordham and St. Joseph’s. He hit his career-high 33 points in a loss against St. Bonaventure on March 11 in the first round of the A-10 Tournament.

    What to know about the NCAA Tournament in Philly: Who’s playing, ticket prices, and more

    Prior to La Salle, the 6-foot-6 guard spent two seasons at Texas A&M. He redshirted as a freshman and made just one appearance in the team’s season opener as a sophomore.

  • Philly has been seeing huge temperature swings within 24 hours. Here’s what’s going on.

    Philly has been seeing huge temperature swings within 24 hours. Here’s what’s going on.

    Like so many humans, perhaps the atmosphere is having issues adjusting to the time change. At the very least, it’s having trouble keeping track of the seasons.

    After making a run at 70 degrees on a stormy Monday, on Tuesday it will be welcome back to hats and gloves in Philly.

    Temperatures were forecast to fall to freezing by daybreak, which would be a drop of 35 to 40 degrees in less than 24 hours. In some years, that would rank among the biggest annual day-to-day temperature drops.

    But this comes less than a week after the official readings plummeted from 83 degrees, normal for mid-June, to 35 in 24 hours, one of the largest day-to-day temperature swings in Philly’s climate record.

    In official record-keeping dating to 1874 — covering more than 55,000 days — the Wednesday-to-Thursday shift would rank in the top 20 for day-to-day temperature tumbles, according to an Inquirer analysis.

    “It’s really remarkable,” said Eric Balaban, pulmonary and critical care fellow at the Temple Lung Center.

    He and other experts say that aside from what it may do to the morale of spring’s ardent fans, the thermal roller-coaster and the accompanying winds likely are having effects on health, particularly for people with respiratory cardiovascular conditions.

    And we probably should expect to see the dramatic swings to continue for a while, said Matt Benz, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc.

    “I’d be surprised if we didn’t, given the pattern we’ve being going through,” Benz said.

    Why the temperature has been so jumpy lately in Philly

    Philadelphia and other areas in the mid-latitudes are prone to become battlegrounds this time of year between the stubborn winter and the impatient spring.

    March is notorious for temperature swings as cold air masses from the north encounter encroaching warmth and storms tend to form along the borders of the skirmishes.

    One reason the contrasts have been especially vigorous this year is the obvious. “After this hard winter, that’s to be expected,” said Ray Martin, a lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service. We haven’t had many of those lately.

    But that 48-degree drop last week belongs in an elite category. It ranked No. 18 among day-to-day temperature falls, based on the available records. The all-timer was the 57-degree drop from March 28 to 29 in 1921, with several 50-degree drops appearing in the record.

    Whenever they occur, the radical shifts can have health consequences, according to medical experts and a variety of studies.

    The possible health effects of rapid temperature changes

    The temperature changes typically are set off by potent fronts, such as the one that crashed through the region on Monday, and they generate powerful winds.

    By stirring particulate matter and transporting early tree pollens, the winds present a risk to those with respiratory conditions and allergies, said Manav N. Segal, with the Chestnut Hill Allergy & Asthma practice.

    “We are seeing an increase in call volume already because of patients’ spring allergy symptoms,” he said Monday. And conditions this week are just a prequel: The allergy season will pick up steam once the weather turns more consistently warmer and the allergy season intensifies, he said.

    Said Balaban, “People who have preexsiting conditions are simply at higher risk.”

    Rapid changes in temperature and levels of atmospheric moisture with frontal passages can irritate the airways and increase airway inflammation, said Joann Martin, nurse with Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates in Flourtown, Montgomery County. Studies have shown associations between temperature variability and increased asthma-related hospital visits.

    Changes in temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure — a measure of the weight of the air that falls as fronts approach and rises after they pass — are “recognized triggers for migraine and severe headaches.”

    In addition, “Sudden temperature shifts can affect blood pressure, vascular tone, and cardiac workload,” Martin said, increasing the changes for heart attacks and strokes.

    For most people, however, after a long winter, the temperature drops are a source of frustration over the delay of a much-anticipated spring.

    More temperature swings are likely in coming weeks in the Philly region

    For now, at least, it appears that the region’s cherry blossoms should be safe, even though temperatures Tuesday morning were expected to come close to freezing in Philly and may fall into the upper 20s Wednesday and Thursday mornings.

    Daytime highs won’t be much higher than 40 Tuesday and Wednesday, before a modest warmup begins.

    It likely would take a serious late-March or early-April freeze to damage the blossoms, said Sandi Polyakov, head gardener for the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia. He expects a bloom peak in early April.

    However, the temperature seesaw probably isn’t over, said AccuWeather’s Benz.

    “There’s still a lot of cold air left over in Canada,” he said, ”and a lot of warmth coming up from the Gulf.”

    He noted that Monday’s storm was dropping a healthy 20 to 30 inches of snow in the western Great Lakes.

    “Until we get out of that type of stuff,” he said, “the cold air doesn’t have to go very far to get here.”

  • Baby killed in ambulance crash was being driven to hospital by her grandfather, sources say

    Baby killed in ambulance crash was being driven to hospital by her grandfather, sources say

    An infant who died in a crash involving a private ambulance early Sunday morning was being driven to the hospital by her grandfather, who had jumped behind the wheel of the emergency vehicle parked at the family’s home after the baby became unresponsive, sources said.

    Robert Coleman was trying to rush the baby and her mother to a hospital around 5:15 a.m. after the child was found in distress inside their Frankford house, said a law enforcement source who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

    Police said Coleman, 51, had been drinking — and did not turn on the ambulance’s flashing lights or siren before he sped through a red light at the intersection of Torresdale and Harbison Avenues and collided with a sedan.

    The mother and baby, who the source said were not restrained, were ejected through the windshield of the ambulance, police said.

    The 2-month-old infant, Marian Harris, was declared dead shortly after the crash at an area hospital. Her 32-year-old mother, whom police did not identify, was critically injured with severe head trauma, they said.

    It was not immediately clear why the ambulance, owned by Ambulance Express Inc. or Medstar EMS, was parked at the family’s house or whether the grandfather worked for the company or had experience driving emergency vehicles.

    Police said Sunday that the driver would be charged with driving under the influence and related crimes.

    District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a statement Sunday that no charges had been filed, however. He added that the investigation into the crash “may take some time” but that “we are committed to a fair, appropriate and just outcome.”

  • A Wynnefield man’s title-washing scheme put 65 luxury cars in the hands of criminals, AG says

    A Wynnefield man’s title-washing scheme put 65 luxury cars in the hands of criminals, AG says

    For a little over a year, Adam Richardson was known among local car thieves as “the title guy,” state investigators said Monday. They could steal a car, visit Richardson’s title shop and resell it, either to a coconspirator or a unwitting bystander.

    From his office on Golf Road in Wynnefield, Richardson, 40, created false title, registration, and insurance documents for luxury vehicles stolen from New Jersey, Philadelphia, and its suburbs, including a Ferrari Portofino worth $260,000 and a bevy of Mercedes, BMWs, and similar vehicles.

    All told, Richardson facilitated the illegal transfer of 65 vehicles, the street value of which is nearly $4 million, according to state Attorney General Dave Sunday.

    Richardson was arrested Friday and charged with racketeering, forgery, tampering with public records, and related crimes.

    Sunday, speaking at a news conference in Northeast Philadelphia, said Richardson’s actions — referred to as “title washing” — created “a veil” behind which criminals were able to operate.

    Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said Monday that the title washing of stolen vehicles allows criminals to operate undetected throughout the state.

    “What should be most concerning about this conduct to individuals and families in our communities is that title washing enables criminals to move in and out of communities without being detected by law enforcement,” he said.

    Sunday declined to disclose whether the 37 vehicles recovered by Pennsylvania State Police were involved in other crimes, but he said that title washing is often linked to drug trafficking and other violent crimes.

    The state’s investigation into Richardson is ongoing, he said.

    Richardson remained in custody Monday in Dauphin County, denied bail due to the extent of his alleged crimes. There was no indication he had hired an attorney.

    He will be prosecuted in Central Pennsylvania, investigators said, given his abuse of his power as a third-party contractor eligible to do business with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

    State Police investigators began investigating Richardson in May 2024, when a trooper at the Trevose Station and Barracks impounded a BMW X7 that he suspected held a fraudulent title, according to the affidavit of probable cause for Richardson’s arrest.

    The vehicle had been registered in South Carolina, using a VIN that did not conform with the standard for that state and possessed a fake insurance policy, the affidavit said.

    The true VIN, investigators said, matched a car reported stolen a month earlier in Montville Township in western New Jersey.

    Investigators later interviewed a confidential informant who had facilitated the resale of the car. The informant had gotten the car, knowing it was stolen, from a man who told him to see Richardson, identifying him as “the 24-hour title guy” who had a reputation to meet sellers “anywhere and anytime,” the affidavit said.

    The informant told troopers that Richardson helped him put the car in another person’s name, using a photo of their driver’s license.

    The investigation into Adam Richardson, codenamed “Operation Hot Wheels,” found that he helped facilitate the sale of luxury cars, including multiple Mercedes sedans.

    Using the unique identification number issued to Richardson’s business by PennDOT, investigators were able to identify the 65 cars involved in the title-washing scheme.

    During the investigation, investigators spoke with multiple vehicle owners who said they had been paid money in exchange to have the stolen vehicles registered in their names, despite never meeting Richardson, visiting his business or driving the vehicles, according to the affidavit.

    Previous audits by PennDOT in 2022 and 2023 found that his title business was violating multiple laws, including issuing plates to salvage vehicles and selling cars without a license.

  • The fake historic plaque that was erected at the scene of a Philly ICE arrest has disappeared

    The fake historic plaque that was erected at the scene of a Philly ICE arrest has disappeared

    The ICE plaque is gone.

    The fake but authentic-looking Pennsylvania historic marker, erected by two artists who sought to ruefully commemorate a local immigration arrest, disappeared from its post in Philadelphia sometime Monday.

    Huston West, one of the artists, said he was walking his dog around 1 p.m. when he noticed that the sign was absent from its spot on Fairmount Avenue near Fifth Street. A neighbor told him the plaque had been there earlier in the day.

    “It’s lame,” West said of the sign being removed. “But it got a lot of coverage while it was up.”

    West said he could only speculate on who may have taken the marker ― he suspected conservative opponents, people who had criticized the sign on social media, or maybe even the city government.

    A city spokesperson said he would check.

    This particular, familiar-looking blue-and-yellow marker, similar to the ones that commemorate important people, places, and events in communities across Pennsylvania, was put up at the site of a Feb. 16 ICE arrest.

    That morning, masked agents descended on a Gopuff delivery driver who had pulled over to make a quick drop-off in Northern Liberties. After he was taken into custody, the car remained behind for days, set two feet from the curb in an accessible parking space, its hazard lights blinking until the battery died.

    West and a fellow artist who goes by the name Emeyewhisky wondered what had happened to the driver, and created a plaque bearing the header “ICE Kidnapping and Ghost Car.”

    The ghost car terminology borrows from ghost bikes, the roadside memorials where a bicycle is painted white and placed at the site where a cyclist was hit and killed by a motorist.

    Federal immigration authorities say the use of such terms as kidnapping is inaccurate and unfair, that they lawfully arrest migrants who have no permission to be in the United States and who in some cases have committed criminal and even violent offenses.

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Philadelphia said that on Feb. 16, officers conducted a targeted action and arrested Abdulasen Nazarkhudoev. They said he was unlawfully in the U.S., and told them that he was a Russian citizen.

    He was taken to the Federal Detention Center in Center City and later released by order of a judge, pending further immigration proceedings, records show.

    ICE earlier referred questions about the sign to city officials.

    As word of the art project spread on social media, some disapproved. Some suggested on a Northern Liberties Facebook group that the delivery driver was rightfully arrested.

    West said Monday that he and his art partner had conferred about what to do next. Emeyewhisky is known for projects that place signs with fake wording on Philadelphia streets, and some have been removed.

    Don’t be too surprised, Huston said, if an ICE marker should reappear.