Police have arrested a 29-year-old man in the Easter Sunday robbery of a 94-year-old woman in Bell’s Corner.

The woman was on her way home from Bell’s Market when the man crept up behind her on the 8300-block of Loretto Avenue, stealing her purse and knocking her over. She suffered a broken arm and other injuries.

Antonio Santiago of the 2200-block of Kennedy Street was arrested yesterday and charged with robbery and aggravated assault. The crime was captured on surveillance footage, which investigators used to help find the suspect.

They live in Frankford; Northwood; Mayfair; Wissinoming; Lawncrest; and Tacony, and they’re 11 of the Philadelphia Police Department’s most-wanted violent offenders.

The department released a video slideshow Tuesday of the city’s 100 most-wanted violent felons who have outstanding warrants, and will run the images on Channel 64, Philadelphia’s public access TV station, in an effort to solicit tips. continue reading »

Police are investigating a crime that left a woman in critical condition late Tuesday in Frankford.

A passerby discovered the woman on the 5300-block of Frankford Avenue around 11:30 Tuesday night. The woman was transported to Aria Health-Torresdale in critical condition for lacerations to her head and body. She is black, 30 to 40 years old and has a heavy build.

This post has been updated to include the letter that was sent hom to parents of St. Jerome students yesterday.

Three priests with connections to St. Jerome Parish in Winchester Park and one former teacher have been charged with various counts of rape, indecent exposure and sexual assault.

District Attorney Seth Williams has charged Fathers Edward Avery, 68, Charles Engelhardt, 64, and James Brennan, 47, and former teacher Bernard Shero, 48, with rape and indecent sexual assault. continue reading »

Assistant District Attorney Andrew Carobus of the office's Public Nuisance Task Force.

There’s a lot that goes into reporting a nuisance property in the City of Philadelphia, and a lot of things that can come from it. Assistant District Attorney Andrew Carobus reviewed the process at last night’s Holmesburg Civic Association meeting.

Carobus is part of the office’s Public Nuisance Task Force, with handles the acquisition and auction of problem properties.

“We can’t promise you something will be done overnight,” he explained to the more than 30 people at the meeting. But, he said, the more detailed a report on a property is, and the more often neighbors call, the better the memo the DA’s office can create to help address the problem. continue reading »

District Attorney Seth Williams at the June Northwood Civic Association meeting.

Seth Williams says he doesn’t always wear his seat belt while driving.  Philadelphia’s District Attorney also says he was recently caught by a red-light ticket camera.

Lessons for enforcing driving in a town whose DA has broken a law or two can be implemented citywide. So Williams told 30 residents at Tuesday’s Northwood Civic Association meeting in the basement of St. James Church.

“It’s not the severity of punishment that changes behavior,” he said. “It’s the certainty of punishment.”

It was one of four hallmarks he gave for his developing administration, before taking questions from a community that has characterized itself in a quality-of-life war against blight and crime.

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District Attorney Seth Williams, who was sworn in Jan. 1, told those at a town hall meeting last night that he’s planned “a lot of changes, very soon.”

And the Democrat detailed some of those changes during the 90-minute meeting at Rhawnhurst’s Pelbano Rec Center — one of several across the city.

Noting that Philadelphia leads the nation in homicides by handgun, and in the number of felony cases that get thrown out, Williams said he wants to assign assistant district attorneys in the same way crime occurs, and the way police officers are assigned: geographically. continue reading »

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

Twenty-three-month-old Mischa Weston, of Northwood, made the top 10 of Beautiful Baby Week, a contest from Live with Regis & Kelly that started with 300,000 entries.

Unfortunately, Michael Klein of the Inquirer reports that she didn’t make it into the Top Five.

Keep reading for news on students stranded while on a ski trip, an update on those who stole from the body of Joaquin Rivera, and more.

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Bill Rubin of Philadelphia's Board of Pensions and Retirement explains the costs of DROP to Bustleton residents.

In what quickly devolved into arguments and accusations, the Greater Bustleton Civic League tackled several issues at last night’s meeting, including recent crime spikes, DROP and zoning.

Though more neighborhood-centric topics dominated the three-hour meeting, Bill Rubin, vice chairman of the city’s pension fund, was slated as the highlighted speaker, with the intent of talking with Bustleton residents about DROP.

“Nobody had any idea who I was three years ago,” Rubin commented about the recent public scrutiny of the Deferred Retirement Option Program. continue reading »

Police officers from the 2nd District talk to Lawncrest residents about crime, snow and bars.

The snow, it turns out, has its benefits. Lawncrest residents were pleased to find out that crime in the area is down 27 percent from last year, and 47 percent in just the last week. Lt. Tom Tomlinson of the 2nd Police District attributes that last figure to the several feet of snow on the ground.

Approximately 50 people attended last night’s meeting of the Lawncrest Community Association — about half the usual attendance. President Bill Dolbow attributed that to the snow, as well, and thanked those who braved the roads to be at the meeting.

The focus of the meeting was crime, snow and the relationship between the two. Mark Mroz, community relations officer for the 2nd District, was the highlighted speaker, though he brought along Tomlinson, the lieutenant for Police Service Area 2, and a sergeant from that zone as well. continue reading »