Clerk Threatened With Machete in Southwest Philly Robbery

Still from surveillance footage via Philadelphia Police Department

A clerk was threatened with a machete a robber pulled from behind the counter in a robbery in Kingsessing, police say.

The robbery happened in Kingsessing last Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. Cops say a 40-year-old clerk at Alta Gracia Grocery Store at 1332 South 54th Street was working at that time when two men stormed into the store, armed with handguns.

While one robber provided a lookout, cops said, the a second man struck the clerk on the head with the butt of his handgun. He then picked up a machete that was behind the counter and threatened the worker with it. The two robbers escaped with an unknown amount of cash and were last seen going west on the 5400 block of Belmar Street.

The first suspect was wearing a black and white skull mask, while the second had a distinctive tattoo on his hands and was wearing black Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers.

Anyone with information is asked to call Southwest Detectives at 215-686-3183/3184. Confidential tips can also be called in to 215.686.8477 (TIPS), texted to 773847 (PPD TIP) or submitted online.

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