Philadelphia police are seeking suspects in connection to a pattern of armed robberies at fast food restaurants this month – crimes that follow two deadly robberies at Burger Kings in New York City and Milwaukee.
There have been five reported incidents fitting a similar pattern across the city between Jan. 16 and Jan. 25, Philadelphia police said.
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While it was unclear whether the same group of suspects was involved in each incident, police said that all the robberies involve four to five suspects who appear to be Black males between 16 and 18 years old.
All suspects appeared to be wearing face masks and at least one in each instance was armed with a handgun, police said. The suspects would force employees to open safes and cash registers before making off with cash.
A group of armed and masked suspects rob a Popeye’s restaurant on Jan. 16.
(Philadelphia Police Department)
On Jan. 16, five suspects robbed $1500 from a Popeyes at 2749 W. Hunting Park Avenue. The suspects fled on foot.
On Jan. 19, five suspects robbed $2100 from the safe at a Burger King on 4700 N. Broad Street. The suspects fled in a silver Nissan Rogue with a dent in the hood and a missing Nissan emblem.
Police said the suspects in the Popeye’s robbery drove away in a silver Nissan Rogue that had a dent in its hood.
(Philadelphia Police Department)
On Jan. 21, four suspects, all masked and armed with handguns, held a manager of a McDonald’s at 3100 W. Allegheny Avenue at gunpoint and demanded he open the safe and registers. The suspects made off with $9,000 in what appeared to be a similar Nissan Rogue.
On Jan. 24, four suspects stole about $2,000 from a McDonald’s at 120 E. Oregon Avenue before fleeing in a Honda Pilot that was waiting outside.
On Jan. 25, four suspects stole an undetermined amount of money from the safe and cash registers at a Burger King at 1521 S. Columbus Boulevard. They fled in a black vehicle.
An armed suspect forced the manager of a Burger King to open the safe and cash registers on Jan. 25, police said.
(Philadelphia Police Department)
No injuries were reported during any of the incidents.
The robberies follow two other fast food restaurant robberies earlier this month that each ended with an employee being shot and killed.
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In Milwaukee, 16-year-old Niesha Harris-Brazell was working as a cashier when she was struck by a bullet and killed during a shootout between the robbery suspect and an armed co-worker of the teen.
Antoine Edwards, the accused robber, allegedly coordinated the robbery plan with his daughter and the victim, Harris-Brazell, FOX6 Milwaukee reported. Edwards and his daughter were both arrested, along with the co-worker, Derrick Ellis, who is charged with possession of a firearm by an outstate felon and homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon.
In New York City on Jan. 9, 19-year-old Kristal Bayron-Nieves was shot and killed after robbery suspect Winston Glynn, 30, demanded she open a cash register. Glynn was arrested nearly a week later and charged with Bayron-Nieves’ murder.
