Center City vehicle break-ins are latest in a series of similar crimes, police say
One suspect has been arrested and police are investigating if there are others.
Broken glass was littered along 22nd Street in Center City after vandals broke into dozens of vehicles during the weekend and Monday, police said.
The break-ins and vandalism follow a string of similar crimes reported across multiple neighborhoods in the last several weeks. One suspect, identified by police as Isaac Tate, was arrested earlier this month in connection with thefts from vehicles in the Ludlow and Northern Liberties neighborhoods, police said at a news conference Tuesday, and investigators are looking for other potential suspects.
Other instances of vehicle break-ins and vandalism under investigation include:
Roughly a dozen vehicles were broken into on the 2100 block of Walden Street, 400 and 500 blocks of North Front Street, and 2200 block of Sansom Street during the weekend.
Multiple handguns and weapons stolen from the vehicles in the 400 and 500 blocks of North Front Street in Old City between the end of June and throughout the weekend, and miscellaneous items such as coins, credit cards, wallets, and registration cards stolen from vehicles throughout the area.
Surveillance video that captured a man and woman early Saturday morning spray-painting “Viva Palestina” on a home along the 500 block of South 45th Street near Clark Park, where multiple pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been held. Investigators are looking to see whether that is connected to several other vandalism in that area.
Break-ins along the 2600 and 2900 blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue in May, in addition to vandalism and break-ins on the 200 block of Brown Street in June. Before the cluster of incidents during the weekend, there were reported break-ins on the 600 block of North 19th Street and 700 block of North 22nd Streets this month.
Counting all types of vandalism of vehicles, there have been 9,000 such incidents in Philadelphia this year, which is nearly 3,000 less than last year, police said.
Police officials are investigating whether the incidents are connected and are using surveillance video from the area to help identify potential suspects.
Police are asking residents to lock their vehicles and remove any valuables and are putting warning signs on nearby businesses.