Masked men used an AR-15-style rifle to rob three people in Center City this weekend, police say
The masked robbers fled with cell phones, watches, car keys, wallets, driver’s licenses, and cash, police said.
Masked men armed with handguns and what appeared to be an AR-15-style rifle robbed three men early Sunday morning in Center City, forcing at least one of the victims to his knees at gunpoint, according to police.
The victims — ages 27, 35 and 36 — were talking on the sidewalk around 3 a.m. on the 1500 block of Locust Street when three robbers stepped out of a gray Hyundai sedan and demanded the men’s belongings, said 9th District Capt. Anthony Ganard.
Two of the men, police said, but the third resisted, and one of the robbers hit him in the face with a handgun. He was taken to an area hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, Ganard said.
The assailants took cell phones, watches, car keys, wallets, driver’s licenses, and cash, police said.
No arrests have been made.
Surveillance video reviewed by investigators shows one of the victims on his knees on the sidewalk as two of the robbers pointed guns — including what appeared to an assault rifle — at his head. The video shows the victim handing over cash and the watch on his right wrist before the robbers ran back toward the Hyundai, Ganard said.
“It’s always concerning, any type of robbery involving a firearm, [but] especially when you have a high-powered style firearm,” Ganard said at a news conference Monday.
Police believe a fourth man acted as the getaway driver and remained in the Hyundai during the robbery.
The Hyundai had been circling the area for about three hours before the robbery, Ganard said. But it was unclear Monday whether the men were targeted or victims of a random crime, he added.
The sedan, which police recovered early Monday morning, had been stolen from Cheltenham Township on Aug. 19, Ganard said. He declined to say where the car was found.
Detectives are examining the vehicle for evidence and searching for additional surveillance footage that may have captured the robbery. Investigators have not linked the men to any other similar robberies, Ganard said.
The investigation remains active, police said.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact investigators at the department’s tip line, 215-686-TIPS.