No clues in 3 armed robberies

    Philadelphia Police are investigating two armed robberies and an attempted armed robbery that occurred Saturday, Sept. 17 just hours apart.

    The first robbery occurred on the block of 100 W. Sylvania Street at 4:00 a.m.  A man was robbed after he heard someone running towards him.  Police say the suspect is an African-American male, 6’0″ tall, weighing about 160 pounds. He is described as being “dark-skinned with a short beard and mustache”. The robber got away with a wallet containing the victim’s ID, approximately $150 in cash and a cell phone valued at $400.

    The second robbery occured at 5:35 a.m.  A 42-year-old man was robbed at a bus stop at Stenton Avenue and Wyncote Street. The suspect pointed a gun at the victim’s chest and demanded he empty his pockets. When the man obliged, the suspect told him to run or be shot. The victim ran for his life and called police.  The suspect is described as a young African-American male between 17 and 20 years old, about 5’7″ tall with medium to dark skin and no facial hair.

    The attempted robbery occurred at 6:12 a.m. Police say a suspect approached a man on the 910 block of East Haines Street. The man was walking on Haines Street near Stenton Avenue when he noticed a tan Buick slowly driving by. The man continued walking until he was stopped by the suspect who was hiding behind a large bush. The suspect revealed a handgun, which prompted the victim to pull out his gun, which he is licensed to carry. The suspect fled on foot. Police say the suspect is an African-American male, 20, 5’7″-5’9″ tall with a medium build.

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    In all the instances, police say, the suspects wore dark-colored hooded sweatshirts.

    The robberies on Stenton Avenue and Wyncote Street and East Haines Street both occurred in the 14th district.  Police Captain Joel Dales believes they are connected because they occured about 40 minutes apart and the descriptions of the suspects are similar. He said he is unsure about the robbery that occurred on West Sylvania Street because the suspect is taller than the suspect who committed robberies in his district.

    Anyone with more information is asked to call police at 215-686-TIPS (8477).

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