Briefly... CITY/REGION

Two wounded in shooting near Temple

Two men were shot in North Philadelphia early yesterday, police said.

The incident unfolded on Watts Street near Susquehanna Avenue about 1:20 a.m.

An 18-year-old man was shot in the abdomen, and admitted to Temple University Hospital in critical condition. A 23-year-old man was wounded once in the arm, and listed in stable condition at Temple.

Investigators found a handgun at the scene of the crime, but didn't have a description of the shooter. The motive was unclear.

Cops net big numbers in drug bust

The Police Department announced yesterday that more than 50 people were arrested and more than 20 vehicles were confiscated as part of drug raids that were conducted Thursday in the East Division, an area that includes parts of Kensington and North Philly.

A majority of those arrested were city residents, but the group also included people from South Jersey and other suburbs, including Bucks and Chester counties, according to police.

Heroin was the predominant drug being sold, but other arrests were for crack and marijuana.

Cops have made nearly 300 arrests in the area already this year, due to a plethora of open-air drug sales, police said.

Two arrested for food-stamp fraud

A Germantown corner-store owner and his alleged accomplice are accused of bilking the federal government of about $1.1 million in food-stamp reimbursements.

Abdoulaye Diallo, 50, and Lassana Nianghane, 51, have been charged with conspiracy to commit offenses against the USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Diallo, the owner of Brothers Food Market, allegedly traded SNAP benefits for cash, which is illegal, the statement said. Nianghane would act as the "purse man" for these transactions, helping to link customers with Diallo.

The men, arrested yesterday, operated their scheme between June 2011 and May 2014, the statement said.

If convicted, they face a "substantial period of incarceration" as well as restitution and a fine of up to $1.8 million.

Student charged with frat-house rape

A college student has been arrested in connection with an alleged rape at a West Chester University fraternity house.

West Chester University student Mauricio Sanjuan-Martinez, 19, of Gettysburg, was charged Thursday with rape, sexual assault and other offenses. Police said he allegedly rape a female student about 4 a.m. Sunday at the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity house.

The university posted a notice to its public-safety website. It isn't clear if Sanjuan-Martinez was a fraternity member. He was jailed in lieu of $25,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 16.

- David Gambacorta, Vinny Vella & Associated Press