Philadelphia police, FBI investigate robbery pattern in Germantown

GERMANTOWN (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police suspect that two robberies are now connected and that at least three of the men responsible are the same.

Surveillance image released by police shows the three suspects as they entered the Beneficial Bank at 5301 Chew Avenue in Germantown just before 9 a.m. Tuesday.

"It was committed by three males and two of them were wearing masks," Philadelphia Police Captain Malachi Jones said.

Brandishing a gun, one suspect ordered two employees into the middle of the bank.

The other two suspects jumped the counters and demanded money from the tellers.

They fled on foot, meeting up with a fourth suspect as they made their getaway.

Police believe the same men robbed Hong's Laundromat about a mile and a half away from the bank in East Mount Airy, at 6705 Chew Avenue around 7:15 p.m. Saturday.

Surveillance video shows them walking in. They approached a 47-year-old employee, and, at gunpoint, demanded he open the office. Once inside, he was ordered to hand over about $1,000 in cash, his cell phone, and wallet.

"These males showed no regard for customers who were actually in the laundromat at the time," Jones said.

Action News spoke with another employee who didn't want to appear on camera.

"My boss tells me three people come in and then they have a gun," the employee said.

At the laundromat, one of the suspects referred to another as "Green" on two separate occasions.

"Very brazen, dangerous, in fact. We desperately are seeking to arrest these individuals and get them off the street," Jones said.

No shots were fired and nobody injured in either incident.

Still, the men are considered armed and dangerous.

A joint task force made up of Philadelphia Police and the FBI are investigating.

They are offering reward money for information.