Briefly... CITY/REGION

Help wanted to catch robber

The FBI and Philadelphia police are seeking the public's assistance to identify and locate the man in the yellow parka who held up the Firstrust Bank at 19th and Walnut streets yesterday. The man presented a threatening demand note to a teller and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. He is described as black, of medium height and weight with a thin mustache. Anyone with information about his identity should call the FBI at 215-418- 4000, or 9-1-1.

Girl dies in car crash

A 12-year-old girl died in a car crash in Port Richmond near Richmond and Cambria streets last night, police said. The car, carrying two adults, a 4-year-old girl and the 12-year-old, slammed the back of a truck about 6:50 p.m., police said. The 12-year-old, whom police did not identify, was killed at the scene. The other occupants of the car were transported to Hahnemann University Hospital, where they were in stable condition, police said.

Focus on City Hall light runners

The red-light cameras around City Hall will go live today at two intersections, Broad Street and South Penn Square, and Broad Street and John. F Kennedy Boulevard. Now that the two-month grace period is over, drivers who run red lights at either intersection will face a $100 fine.

Ex-mayor pleads guilty to theft

Former Glenolden Mayor Ted Bathurst, charged with stealing $76,000 from people who had prepaid for services at his funeral home, pleaded guilty yesterday in Delaware County Court to theft and related offenses.

When he sold the McCausland-Bathurst Funeral Home in 2007, he lied to the new owner, telling her that the accounts were fully funded, authorities said. Bathurst, 68, who was first elected mayor in 1994 and resigned in August, will be sentenced in April.

More providers get flu vaccine

Pennsylvania health officials say that the federal government has allocated nearly 3 million doses of swine flu vaccine to the state so far. As of yesterday, officials say that the vaccine has been distributed to more than 1,600 certified providers. They include pediatricians, family-health practitioners, obstetricians, hospitals, schools, colleges and universities.

Girl, 13, leads cops on wild chase

State police in central Pennsylvania say that a 13-year-old girl yesterday led troopers on a chase that reached speeds of more than 100 mph.

Authorities say that the pursuit started about 9:30 a.m. when troopers observed a driver weaving on Interstate 81 in Swatara Township. Police say that the driver wouldn't stop when they tried to pull her over. The pursuit continued onto Interstate 78.

They say she finally stopped the 1994 Pontiac Grand Am on the Fredericksburg off-ramp of I-78. Troopers say that the girl was taken into custody and charged with several violations. Her name was not released, and police could not immediately offer more details of the case.

- Staff and wire reports