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Real estate agent grazed in shooting

1REAL-ESTATE AGENT GRAZED IN SHOOTING A West Philadelphia business owner is thankful to be alive after a stray bullet grazed the top of his head last night, police said.

1REAL-ESTATE AGENT GRAZED IN SHOOTING

A West Philadelphia business owner is thankful to be alive after a stray bullet grazed the top of his head last night, police said.

The 70-year-old man was leaving his real-estate business for the night when shots rang out at 7 p.m. on 59th Street near Race, said Lt. John Walker of Southwest Detectives.

The victim called police and was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received stitches, Walker said.

"He was going home to have dinner," Walker said. "He's in good spirits. He's fortunate and grateful to be alive."

There is no clear description of the suspect but Walker said police pursued a black vehicle north on 63rd Street and lost it at 63rd and Media streets. Tipsters are asked to call Southwest Detectives at 215-686-3183.

2PROFESSOR ARRESTED

IN CHILD-SEX STING

A Rider University professor on leave from teaching was arrested at Philadelphia International Airport on Monday afternoon for allegedly trying to have sex with a woman from Idaho and her 13-year-old daughter, the FBI said yesterday.

Austin Winther, of Mount Airy, was arrested as he arrived at an airport gate where he thought he was going to meet with a mother and daughter to whom he had sent explicit e-mails, according to reports.

He taught at Rider University from 2005 until going out on long-term disability leave in October 2009.

3ST. PADDY'S DAY

SOBRIETY CHECKS

If you're going to celebrate St. Patrick's Day by more than the wearin' of the green, you'd better stay out of Camden County if

you've had too much to drink.

Cops will set up sobriety check points in Gloucester Township tomorrow and in Pennsauken on Friday. Exact locations are secret, but it's not advisable to risk missing them.

UPDATE:

COP'S ALLEGED ACCOMPLICE EXPECTED TO PLEAD GUILTY

William "Billy" Wong, a Philadelphia restaurateur charged last month with ex-Police Inspector Daniel Castro in an extortion scheme to use a so-called collector to help Wong and a business associate, Alan Kats, recover a debt, has decided to plead guilty tomorrow, according to a filing in federal district court yesterday. Wong was charged with conspiracy and attempted extortionate collection of credit on Feb. 3.

Authorities said Castro referred the services of the collector, who was really an undercover FBI agent, to Wong and Kats so Kats could collect on a $26,000 loss in a failed nightclub investment. Kats pleaded guilty last month to attempted extortionate collection of credit and is to be sentenced in May.

- Staff and wire reports