West Philly man, 29, is charged with shooting couple in Powelton

Philadelphia police have charged a West Philadelphia man in the ambushes of a man and woman found shot inside a car in Powelton on Sunday. The man was killed and the woman was critically wounded.

Darrel Hentz, 29, of the 500 block of South 54th Street, is accused of opening fire at 1:57 a.m. Sunday on Henry Peterson, 26, of the 5700 block of Nassau Road, Overbrook, and a 22-year-old woman whose identity was not released.

The victims were found each shot in the head inside a parked white Infiniti in the 3800 block of Hamilton Street by police responding to a report of a person screaming. Peterson also was shot in the chest, police said. The victims were taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where Peterson died and the woman remained in critical condition.

Hentz was arrested Monday and charged with murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, weapons offenses, tampering with evidence, and obstructing justice, police said.

Court records show that Hentz has an arrest record in Philadelphia dating to 2009, including convictions for aggravated assault, drug dealing, drug possession, and receiving stolen property. Court records did not indicate if he had a lawyer.

Hentz’s arrest was the first in the slayings of six civilians from Friday through Sunday in Philadelphia. The city’s 2020 homicide count stands at 79, which is 23% higher than at the same point a year ago, police said.