In the wee hours of last Saturday morning, a masked gunman entered a 7-11 store in Upper Darby and demanded cash. The clerk complied with a $100 bill, but he was pistol-whipped anyway.
Police say this was the third in a series of semi-automatic handgun attacks on unarmed victims by the same suspect. The night clerk was struck twice in the face and required hospital treatment.
"This bum pistol-whipped the victims. All required some type of medical treatment for their injuries, either a cut on their nose or their face or the top of their head," said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood.
The gunman, who police believe is left-handed, can be seen fleeing on video captured by an outside camera. Police say he struck three times at nighttime in less than a week. There were two late night armed stickup attempts of two pedestrians in the heart of Upper Darby in the days leading up to the 7-11 heist.
This is the police account of one holdup on Kent Road at 10:00 p.m. on May 23rd:
"Our bum confronts the guy at gunpoint, hits him across the face with the gun. There's a struggle for the gun. The bad guy takes a step back, racks it, fires a shot at the victim, but misses," said Chitwood.
Each time the assailant wore a mask covering the bottom part of his face. He is described as a black male, 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a medium build. Police say he is armed and extremely dangerous, and they want to get him off the street before he kills someone. There is a $1500 reward for his capture.
If you can help Upper Darby Police, give them a call 610-734-7677.
