Friday — District Attorney Seth Williams hosted Take Back the Night in Frankford in the neighborhood’s ongoing effort to prevent crime and foster neighborhood relations. A group of residents, politicians and community leaders came together and walked the streets of Frankford between 9:30 p.m. and midnight. continue reading »

Police yesterday raided and shut down an illegal gambling operation in Castor Gardens.

Two people were arrested, and several gambling devices were removed from a property on the 6800-block of Bustleton Avenue. After being tipped off by an anonymous caller, police found 10 gambling tables and more than 20 people playing a game of craps.

Saturday — A Castor Gardens family escaped uninjured from a home invasion Saturday morning. Three men entered a home on the 1200-block of Fanshawe Street, where the suspects tied the family up and demanded money.

It’s unclear how much money the men got, if any, but they did leave with the family’s Honda Civic. There’s been no word of an arrest. continue reading »

Q: How much would I get if I wanted to sell my home in Castor Gardens? I live in a twin with three bedrooms. I bought it in 2007 for $165,000, and I probably need to get $175,000 to be able to move.

A: It all depends on the exact location and condition of your home. The lowest price home sold in June was a fixer-upper for $95,000 cash on McKinley Street. Unless your home is in poor shape, you may be able to get more than that. Based on a comparison of the 10 three-bedroom twin homes recently sold over the last 3 months in Castor Gardens, the median price is between $135,000 and $140,000. continue reading »

Here’s a summary of the week’s Northeast news we didn’t cover. See others here.

The Safety Ambassador Program has returned to the Frankford Business Corridor as of yesterday. The program — part of the Frankford Special Services District — was a part of Frankford in the late 1990s and will allow for of uniformed personnel to patrol Frankford Avenue in order to increase commerce on the corridor.

Keep reading for news on a police couple who saved the day, the first ever doctoral program at Holy Family, and more. continue reading »

UPDATED (March 2, 5:50 p.m.) — Police have released a sketch of the man (at right) whom they believe assaulted the girl.

Police are searching for the man responsible for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in her Castor Gardens home early Monday morning.

According to reports, the girl awoke around 2:30 a.m. yesterday to find a man indecently assaulting her in her home on the 1400-block of Levick Street. The girl’s screams startled her 74-year-old babysitter, Julie Etienne, who came to the rescue.

The babysitter bit the attacker’s fingers until he fled. Police believe the attacker gained entrance through an unlocked door. continue reading »

An example of the rampant destruction following last week's earthquake in Haiti. Photo courtesy of the Association Press.

Last weeks earthquake in Haiti isn’t just affecting those who live in the Port-au-Prince capital and its surrounding regions. And for one Northeast man, the tragedy has hit close to home.

Roussel Deslouches*, 46, trekked to Haiti late last week to find the body of his 38-year-old brother, who had been visiting family in there. Deslouches found his brother’s body near stairs in a mall, after hours of searching and digging by hand. continue reading »

A man was found shot in the head early last evening on the 6700-block of Sylvester Street.

The victim, 30, was found around 6:20 p.m. and was pronounced dead at Einstein Medical. The circumstances of his death are still under investigation.

By Shannon McDonald

Police are investigating a shooting that took place in Castor Gardens yesterday afternoon. A 24-year-old male was shot several times in the back on the 6400-block of Large Street around 3:15 p.m. Monday. He was taken to Einstein Medical Center, and is in critical condition. No further details have been released.

Incumbent Alan Butkovitz, far left at NEastPhilly and WHYY's debate, won the Democratic primary for city controller

By Shannon McDonald

Alan Butkovitz, incumbent Democratic candidate for city controller, won yesterday’s primary race, in which he ran against Brett Mandel and John Braxton.

Butkovitz faced off against his opponents in three debates, one co-hosted by NEastPhilly.com and WHYY. The Castor Gardens resident will go up against lone Republican candidate Al Schmidt in the November general election.