Philadelphia police are searching for four young men, possibly teenagers, for allegedly committing an armed robbery at a pizza shop and a separate abduction within hours of each other.
The commercial robbery was reported at 12:26 a.m. Oct. 9. An employee of a pizza shop on Mascher Street in the city's Olney section was loading his pickup truck in front of the restaurant "when a white SUV, possibly a GMC Acadia with a partial PA Tag JFK-44 stopped in front of him," according to a news release.
The group of four got out of the vehicle, and two were armed with firearms. One of the unarmed suspects grabbed a large piece of pipe, and reportedly threatened the employee with it, forcing the employee back into the establishment.
Police provided video showing that while inside the pizza shop, the suspects showed a second employee inside one of the firearms, and demanded money from the cash registers.
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"He jumped on the counter with a gun and said, ‘Give me money! More, more, more money!’" owner Nick Cavilas told FOX 29.
Police say the victim complied with the suspects' demands, and the suspects took $3,000 from the drawer prior to going through the restaurant employees' pockets, demanding any money they had.
The suspects took off after neither victim could produce any money.
Less than five hours later, police say, a 22-year-old man waiting for a bus was approached by two males who exited a white SUV and approached him with handguns, ordering him inside. A third male was waiting inside the SUV in the driver's seat. The victim was reportedly driven around while the suspects demanded his belongings and banking information, prior to using a laundromat ATM where they withdrew money a total of three times.
The victim was dropped off in an area near the laundromat prior to the suspects leaving the area.
"An undetermined amount of money was taken along with the victim’s phone, Apple Watch, Air Pods and other belongings," Philadelphia Police Department said in the release.
Suspect descriptions can be found here.
Anyone with information is asked to call the special victims unit at 215-685-3251. All tips will remain confidential.
