Police: One Man Responsible For Society Hill Area Attacks
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Philadelphia police believe the same man is responsible for a series of cowardly attacks in and near Society Hill over the past few weeks in which the victims have been attacked from behind and robbed.
Officials say the assaults have taken place at all hours of the day and night and the victims have ranged in age from 25 to 73 years old (see related story).
Capt. Sharon Seaborough says the oldest victim was attacked in the 300 block of South American Street, and police have obtained surveillance video of a suspect.
"The complainant was approached from behind and was choked unconscious, and taken was her purse," says Seaborough, who notes that the video shows a person of interest, a male, holding a purse and discarding items from it.
She says all of the victims have been approached from behind and overpowered -- choked or squeezed into submission. One victim was thrown to the ground and knocked unconscious.
Police have obtained video of a suspect leaving the scene of an attack on July 10th in the 700 block of Lombard Street, and they are urging anyone with information on the suspect to call police. They are also urging women to use extra caution in the area.
Watch the video...
The suspect in the five attacks is described as a black male in his 20s with a muscular build. In the video, he is wearing a blue t-shirt and white or light-colored shorts and hat.
Police say there has been a sixth similar incident in the area, but authorities don't believe it was committed by the same man.
Reported by Tony Hanson, KYW Newsradio; Ben Simmoneau, CBS 3
