Second robbery with AR-style rifle in Philadelphia under investigation, police say
A second robbery with an AR-style rifle happened in Center City early Friday morning, Philadelphia police said.
The robbery happened in the area of 1215 Sansom Street around 2:22 a.m., according to police.
Police said a 23-year-old man and his two friends were returning to their residence on Sansom Street when they encountered two masked men.
Armed with guns, the two men exited a light gray or beige four-door sedan with tinted windows. Police said one of them was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and the second man had a black semi-automatic handgun.
Police said the two robbers removed two gold chains from the victim's neck and demanded his silver diamond watch. After the robbery, the two suspects went back to the vehicle and fled westbound on Sansom Street. Nobody was injured during the robbery.
The robbery comes days after another on the 1500 block of Locust Street on Aug. 23 by a group of men, including one seen on video pointing an AR-style rifle at another man. It happened around 3 a.m., and video of the robbery circulated on social media.
Police are using the video seen on social media as part of their investigation.
In the video, a man is seen kneeling on the sidewalk while a group of men point guns at him. One man was holding an "AR-15-style rifle," and the other two were armed with handguns, according to police.
The victim appears to remove his wristwatch and hand it to one of the men, who then entered a gray Honda sedan and drove away.
Police said the group of suspects robbed two other people. One of the victims did not comply and was struck in the face with a handgun.
The robbery suspects got away with cellphones, watches, car keys, wallets, driver's licenses and money. They fled eastbound on Locust Street and then turned southbound on 15th Street after the robberies.
The car involved in the robbery on Aug. 23 was reported stolen in Cheltenham Township on Aug. 19. Police later recovered the stolen vehicle in Philadelphia and planned to search it for evidence.
Police said they believe the two robberies involving the AR-style rifles are connected. Police are asking anyone with information to call 215-686-TIPS.
People who spoke with CBS News Philadelphia said not only are they scared by the robberies, but they're surprised.
"That's pretty scary, like I've been here for about a year and a half now and I've always felt safe," Walter Calderon said. "Like I know there's a lot of things going on right by all the bars, but to have someone with an AR-15 right by where you live, that's pretty scary."
Rachel Joseph said the robberies are "extremely scary."
"I've walked around this city at all hours and never felt threatened, and maybe that's changed and that makes me sad," Joseph said.
