The Philadelphia District Attorney’s office has filed charges against a Castor Gardens man for lying about a home invasion and the circumstances of his wife’s death.

Judith Hartdegen, 74, died Monday in the couple’s home on the 6700-block of Castor Avenue. Her husband Lou, 75, who suffered injuries, told police they couple had been victims of a home invasion perpetrated by a neighbor.

Police announced Tuesday that Lou Hartdegen had later confessed to killing his wife during an argument. Hartdegen is charged with murder, possession of an instrument of crime, abuse of a corpse, false reports, unsworn falsifying and aggravated indecent assault. He is being held without bail.

Luke Dercole, right, is charged with buying guns for 16-year-old Michael Burak, left. Photo/Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office

Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams was in Oxford Circle today to announce the arrest of a straw purchaser who bought several guns for a teenager who used one of those firearms to shoot someone.

Luke Dercole, 32, is charged with illegal transfer, firearm not to be carried with a license, carrying firearms on public streets, possession of firearms by a minor and other charges. Dercole is accused of buying four guns fort he 16-year-old drug dealer. continue reading »

Jurors have convicted a Tacony man for fatally shooting his neighbor. Both lived on the 6500-block of Torresdale Avenue. Image/Google Maps

Jurors on Friday convicted a Northeast Philaphia man of third-degree murder charges in the shooting death of a neighbor in a dispute over dog droppings.

Tyrirk Harris, 28, also was convicted of the charge of possession of an instrument of a crime, according to court records. continue reading »

Police investigate a West Oak Lane shooting that left a Burholme man dead. NewsWorks Photo/Bas Slabbers

A 36-year-old man was shot and killed in the 7400 block of Limekiln Pike on Tuesday afternoon.

A police spokesman said the victim, who has not yet been identified, was shot in the head and multiple times in the body just after 3 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene, in the city’s West Oak Lane neighborhood, less than 10 minutes later. continue reading »

Police responded to a shooting call on the 800 block of E. Woodlawn St. just after 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

They found a 35-year-old man in the street after suffering a gunshot to the right side of his head.

The victim has been identified as Bryant Purcell of the 1900-block of Faunce St.

Read the rest of this story from our partners at NewsWorks.

Stacey Smalls, the Tacony woman accused of murdering her twin toddlers and injuring her 4-year-old, is being held without bail.

Smalls was arrested last week after telling police she harmed her children. The young twins were found dead in the family’s home on the 6800-block of Ditman Street, and her daughter was rushed to the hospital to be treated for pills she’d ingested.

Smalls, who tried to harm herself, has been released from the hospital and is being held on charges that include murder and attempted murder.

Friday - Police continue their search for the masked suspects who killed a Tacony storeowner during an armed robbery Friday. Xiang Huang, 27, was shot inside Jin House, the Chinese store and takeout restaurant he owned with wife Jin Huang at Longshore Avenue and Tulip Street. Xiang was killed in front of his wife and baby daughter, and also leaves behind two other young daughters.

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Photo/Philadelphia Police

Police arrested three suspects over the weekend for the fatal beating death of 23-year-old Kevin Kless. One of the suspects, 20-year-old Steven Ferguson, is from Fox Chase.

Ferguson, of the 1100-block of Solly Avenue, was arrested alongside Felix Crarillo of North Philadelphia and Kenneth Santiago of Juniata for Kless’ Jan. 14 death. continue reading »

Photo/Philadelphia Police

Police have issued an arrest warrant for the man they believe is responsible for a fatal New Year’s Day shooting in Frankford.

North Philadelphia resident Christopher Johnson was involved in a car crash with Frankford resident Gerald Market and then chased Market to the 4100-block of Orchard Street. continue reading »

UPDATE: The victim in the car has been identified at 25-year-old Landis Carter of the 2300-block of Tremont Street.

Police in the 2nd and 7th Districts are busy today searching for suspects in two separate incidents that took place early this morning.

Around 1:30 a.m., a teenager delivering pizza was robbed and stabbed by a group of three males on the 6100-block of Belden Street in Oxford Circle. Five hours later, police in the 7th District were called to the Plaza Towers Apartments on the 2300-block of Tremont Street where a man was shot in his car. continue reading »