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Victim stabbed at Old City bar dies, homicide tally rises

A New Jersey man who was stabbed inside of the Bleu Martini bar in Old City early Saturday morning died from his injuries Sunday afternoon, making him the city's fourth homicide victim of the weekend, police said.

A New Jersey man who was stabbed inside of the Bleu Martini bar in Old City early Saturday morning died from his injuries Sunday afternoon, making him the city's fourth homicide victim of the weekend, police said.

Philadelphia's homicide tally for the year now stands at 181 people, up from 166 people at this time last year, according to police department statistics.

The victim of the Old City bar stabbing, Andrew Hazleton, 33, of Blackwood, N.J., was among the weekend homicide victims who were identified by police on Monday. Authorities said Hazleton was at a table with five women inside of the Bleu Martini when an argument broke out between the people at his table and those at a neighboring table.

One of the men at the neighboring table stabbed Hazelton in the neck with an unknown object, police said. Hazelton was able to run outside and was transported to Jefferson University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:01 p.m. Sunday.

Police said the alleged assailant stayed on scene and was taken into custody, but authorities have not released his name or any charges he might face.

Around the same time Saturday on the 800 block of East Hilton Street in Kensington, Nacier Robinson, 21, was shot several times in his head, neck and face. Robinson, of the 3100 block of Weymouth Street, was taken to Temple University Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 2:50 a.m. Police said no arrests have been made in the case and the motive for Robinson's slaying remains unknown.

At 5 p.m. Saturday, Leonard Boyer III, 25, was found with gunshot wounds to his head and back on the 600 block of North 12th Street in North Philadelphia, police said. Boyer, who lived on the block where he was shot, was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:28 p.m. Police are working to determine a motive and suspect in the case.

Around 7:25 a.m. Sunday, Gordon Branch, 36, was found with blunt force trauma to the back of his head on the 4100 block of North Broad Street in Nicetown, police said. He was taken to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:38 a.m. Police said Branch, of the 1300 block of Jerome Street, was involved in an altercation and a person of interest is in custody, but authorities have not released the suspect's name.

There is a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any homicide suspect.  Those with tips are asked to call the Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334 or 911.