Police: W. Philly neighbors help catch robbery suspect

Some sharp-eyed West Philadelphians helped detectives nab a robbery suspect, police said.

Londae Brown, 20, has been charged with robbery, theft and related offenses after allegedly attacking and robbing a woman early Tuesday, said Lt. John Walker of Southwest Detectives.

Brown allegedly encountered his victim, a 24-year-old woman, about 9 a.m. as she was walking on Windsor Avenue near 48th Street, said Walker.

The woman told detectives that Brown approached her from behind and demanded she hand over her valuables.

He then knocked her down after stealing $6 from her and then bolted, leaving the woman screaming in the street.

A nearby homeowner heard the woman's screams and came to her aid, said Walker. The Good Samaritan posted about the robbery on social media and included Brown's description from the victim herself.

Another resident of that block reviewed the footage from his private surveillance camera, and found a clear shot of a man matching the description running down the block.

The resident turned the footage over to Det. Joe Murray, also of Southwest Detectives, who distributed it to officers that patrol the area, in addition to posting the footage on his Twitter page.

About 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, a woman walking on Baltimore Avenue near 50th Street spotted Brown and called police, telling the officer that she had seen the surveillance footage and recognized him as the man featured in it.

Officers arrived on location and arrested Brown, who was later positively identified by the victim, said Walker, because he was still wearing the same clothes from the day before.

"It's pretty easy to see what can happen in a neighborhood when everyone takes initiative and looks out for one another," Murray tweeted today in reference to the arrest.