N.E. Philadelphia man who threatened violence against former employer and police found dead

A man who had allegedly threatened violence against his former employer and police officers was found dead in his car Saturday evening near the intersection of Rhawn Street and Verree Road, in the Fox Chase neighborhood of the Northeast, police said. It appeared to be a suicide.

Earlier Saturday, police were looking for Michael John Altomari, whom police had described as “armed and dangerous." Altomari, 31, of the 4000 block of Teesdale Street in the city’s Holmesburg section, had threatened violence against his former employer, the Philadelphia Water Department, and warned he “would shoot it out” with any law enforcement officers who tried to stop him.

Altomari had expressed suicidal thoughts, police said.

Lt. Dennis Rosenbaum, of the Northeast Detectives division, said Altomari’s girlfriend called police after they had an argument late Friday night at the home they shared. She said Altomari had packed several guns in a duffel bag before leaving.

“He made some threats against his former employer, which would be the Philadelphia Water Department, and said that if the cops try to interfere they would have consequences also," Rosenbaum said during a news conference Saturday afternoon.

Altomari was “released” from the water department in 2017, said Rosenbaum, who would not disclose why. In addition, Altomari’s father recently died, Rosenbaum said.

Before he was found dead in his car, Altomari had last been seen around 12:50 a.m. Saturday at his home. A discussion about living arrangements regarding “other family members” with the girlfriend, with whom Altomari had an infant child, had upset him, Rosenbaum said.