Police: Armed Man Robs 5 People In Society Hill In 40 Minutes

Surveillence video captured the suspect approaching two of his alleged victims in Society Hill.

Society Hill was a dangerous place to be last Saturday night, thanks to a man who was allegedly walking around town robbing people at gunpoint. Police say he struck three separate times in a 40-minute timespan.

The first incident occurred at 9 p.m. Four men in their twenties were on 5th Street near Spruce Street — about a block from Washington Square Park — when the man allegedly pulled out a gun and took $80 from two of them. One of the four men said he saw the man jump into a black SUV at the corner of 5th and Pine streets.

Then, 25 minutes later, at 9:25 p.m., a 36-year-old man and another person were walking on the same block of 5th Street when they were accosted by an armed man, who made off with unspecified property.

And finally, at 9:40 p.m., just 40 minutes after the original incident, a 50-year-old man and his 55-year-old wife were robbed at Front and Dock streets. The suspect took $65 from them. Fortunately, no one was hurt in any of the incidents.

Police describe the suspect as follows: “Black male, 20 years-of-age, dark complected, 6’0″-6’2″, thin build, clean shaven, wearing a light gray hooded sweatshirt with the hood up, black baseball cap, jeans, black sneakers, and armed with a handgun.”

Investigators say that the car is a dark Infiniti — possibly an FX35, about ten years old — and that the license plate appears to be from New Jersey. Based on the surveillance video that police have released (the video can be viewed below), the cameras captured better images of the car than of the suspect.

Anyone with information is asked to get in touch with Detective DeMalto or Detective Velazquez in the Central Detectives’ Special Investigations Unit at 215-686-3047. You can also submit a confidential tip by calling 215-686-TIPS or texting it to 773847.