Briefly... CITY/REGION

Man shot in SW Philly

A 27-year-old man was in critical condition after being shot in the neck in Southwest Philly last night, police said. The man was sitting in his car on Whitby Avenue near 56th Street about 9 p.m. when a white SUV pulled up and its occupants started firing, police said. The vehicle fled eastbound on Whitby Avenue, police said. The victim, who was not identified, was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

2 men, 10 banks, 1 jail term

Yesterday seemed to be Bank Robbery Day in federal court here. One admitted robber was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for robbing five banks, and another man was indicted in connection with five others.

Christopher Larue, 30, of North Wales, admitted robbing the five banks in less than a month in January: two in Doylestown and one in Warrington, both in Bucks County, and one each in Horsham and in Lansdale, Montgomery County. U.S. District Judge Mary McLaughlin also ordered Larue to pay $7,250 in restitution.

Anthony F. DiPietro, 41, of Southampton, was indicted on charges of robbing five banks at gunpoint, including two in Bensalem, and one each in Huntingdon Valley, Feasterville and Fairless Hills between 2006 and 2008.

SEPTA welcomes 2 to board

SEPTA Chairman Pat Deon officially welcomed newly appointed board members Rina Cutler, deputy mayor for transportation and utilities, and Beverly Coleman, executive director of Neighborhoods Now, this week. They were appointed by Mayor Nutter and participated in their first board meeting yesterday.

Man held in 4-year-old's death

Stephen Fischere, 26, of Aldan, Delaware County, was held for trial yesterday on charges of killing his girlfriend's 4-year-old son last month. Fischere told police that the boy, Zander Grogan, had fallen down a flight of stairs, but the county medical examiner ruled the death a homicide, concluding that the boy died of multiple blunt-force and neck injuries. Fischere is to be arraigned June 25 in Media.

Pension queries zap guv hopeful

The leading Republican in New Jersey's race for governor sidestepped questions yesterday about a close adviser's part-time political job that keeps him in the government pension system.

It's the very situation that Christopher Christie has labeled "pension abuse" and vowed to stop if elected governor. Christie refused to say at a public event in Haddonfield whether he would call on friend and fundraiser John P. Inglesino to give up the pension credits he is receiving as a $3,000-per-year political consultant for Republican State Sen. Joe Pennacchio. Christie then abruptly called off an interview with the Associated Press that had been scheduled weeks ago. He didn't give a reason for canceling. *

- Staff and wire reports