Philadelphia teenager charged with murder, armed robberies

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police say a teenager in the midst of a four-day rampage of shootings and robberies was responsible for the murder of another teen.

They have charged 17-year-old Ma-king Stewart with the March 26th murder of 17-year-old Tycheen Chandler at 59th and Larchwood.

Stewart of the 5100 block of Parkside Avenue has also been charged with 8 counts of Aggravated Assault, Simple Assault, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, and Violation of the Uniform Firearms Act; 7 counts of Possessing an Instrument of Crime; 6 counts of Robbery, Theft-Unlawful Taking, Theft-Receiving Stolen Property, and related offenses.

Stewart has been charged as an adult.

All the robberies happened in the Market Street Corridor between 60th and 62nd streets.

The first incident occurred on March 17 around 1:15 a.m. on the 5900 block of Market Street. Police say a taxi driver got into an argument with four men over the price of the fare. One of the men pulled out a gun and fired at the taxi. They all fled the scene. The taxi driver was not injured.

The second incident occurred on March 26 around 1:30 a.m. on the unit block of North 61st Street. Police say a suspect armed with a gun approached a 22-year-old man. The suspect pointed his gun to the victim's head and asked, "Where you from?" as he began to pat down the victim. The suspect then grabbed the victim's handgun which was tucked in his waistband area and fled southbound on 61st Street. No injuries were reported.

The third incident occurred on March 26 around 11:10 p.m. on the 300 block of North Salford Street. Police say the suspect robbed a 36-year-old man of his wallet and car keys. The suspect then drove the victim's vehicle approximately one block before parking the car and fleeing on a bicycle. No injuries were reported.

The fourth incident occurred on March 26 around 11:25 p.m. at 59th and Chancellor streets. Police say a suspect on a bicycle armed with a gun robbed a 27-year-old man of his backpack, which contained camera equipment. No injuries were reported.

The fifth incident occurred on March 27 around 9 p.m. on the 5700 block of Haverford Avenue. Police say a 24-year-old man was walking in the park when he got into an argument with a group of teens. After the dispute, police say a man on a mountain bike yelled in the direction of the victim. The suspect got off his bike and fired four shots at the victim. He then got back on the bike and rode off. No injuries were reported.

The sixth incident occurred on March 27 around 9:32 p.m. on the 500 block of North Robinson Street. Police say a 23-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint. The suspect stole the victim's blue denim jacket, TransPass, debit card, ID, and Android cell phone. A second man was acting as a lookout, police say. Both males fled on foot westbound on Girard Avenue towards 62nd Street. No injuries were sustained as a result of this incident.

The seventh incident occurred on March 28 around 10:25 p.m. on the 6100 block of Market Street. Police say two people were approached by the suspect at a Chinese takeout restaurant. He asked if they had change for $20. Police say one of the victims, a 16-year-old male, pulled out money and asked the suspect what change he needed. The suspect then showed the victims a handgun and told them to give him the money, which totaled $40. The suspect then told the victims to walk away before pointing his gun at them. No injuries were reported.

The eighth incident occurred on March 30 around 10:25 p.m. on the 100 block of North 59th Street. Police were called to Mercy Hospital for the report of a shooting victim. Once there, officer were met by a 25-year-old man who said he was the victim of an armed robbery. Police say the suspect stole $25 from the victim before shooting at him four times, striking him in the right arm. The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Detectives are continuing to investigate Stewart's involvement in several other incidents in the area.

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