Police arrest suspected ‘Uzi’ bandit

Philadelphia police have charged a 21-year-old man with two of the six commercial robberies carried out last week by a man wielding an Uzi-like weapon.

Timothy Scott, of the 4100 block of Ogden Street, is believed to be the suspect in all six hold-ups, police said.

He was identified as a suspect on Friday after a witness came forward. Scott was arrested later that evening on the street near his home and held on a bench warrant for failure to appear in court.

Scott was arrested for illegally carrying a firearm in April and released on May 22. He did not appear for a subsequent court hearing and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Police believe Scott robbed six West Philadelphia businesses between Tuesday and Thursday, including three bars, two state-run liquor stores and a local market. He was charged with two of the stickups yesterday.

He was accompanied on at least three of the jobs by an accomplice who carried a handgun. That person is still at large.

Police experts examining surveillance video from one of the hold-ups eventually identified the weapon Scott was believed to be wielding as a Mac-10, a machine pistol similar to an Uzi. The robber brandished the gun and threatened to shoot patrons and business owners in each of the robberies.

The weapon has not been recovered.