Two charged, one sought in string of iPhone thefts

Two people were arrested in connection with an armed-robbery spree Thursday night that targeted iPhones and victimized nearly a dozen people in West Philadelphia.

The first holdup involved a rowing coach and rower from Clarkson University in Upstate New York who were visiting Philadelphia for the Dad Vail Regatta, said Lt. John Walker of Southwest Detectives.

Around 8:30 p.m., the coach and rower were confronted at gunpoint at 45th and Sansom Streets, Walker said. The victims gave up an iPhone, wallet, and bag.

About 15 minutes later, three men at 43d and Regent Streets were robbed at gunpoint and surrendered three iPhones, Walker said.

At 42d and Ludlow Streets about 9 p.m., a man turned over his Samsung Galaxy and cash to armed bandits, Walker said.

Finally, five male Drexel University students were robbed of five iPhones about 10:20 p.m. in the 3200 block of Powelton Avenue.

The students were able to provide police with a description, including a partial tag, of a late-model black Honda Accord the robbers used as a getaway vehicle, Walker said.

Ten minutes later, police from the University of Pennsylvania spotted a car matching that description at 44th Street and Baltimore Avenue.

A male ran from the car, but university police apprehended a man and a woman who remained in the Honda. The man had one of the stolen iPhones in his pocket, Walker said.

Police executed a search warrant on the car Friday morning and found eight iPhones, Walker said.

Sean King, 25, and Shalina Watts, 25, were charged with aggravated assault, robbery, and related offenses.

Detectives are looking for connections between Thursday's robberies and five earlier armed holdups in the area.