Handcuffed teen prisoner, who escaped custody, surrenders

SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A teen who escaped custody while still wearing his handcuffs in Southwest Philadelphia surrendered early Friday morning.

The Action Cam was at Southwest Detectives when 17-year-old Hasheem Singletary arrived with relatives and his lawyer shortly after midnight.

His brother, Willie Singletary worked with the teen to turn himself in.

Willie Singletary is a former traffic court judge who is headed to federal prison later this month for a conviction in a corruption scandal.

Singletary thanked the police department and lawyers for helping arrange the surrender.

"We are a close family and we work together, so we worked to make sure we got here safely. And, I'm happy not because of the situation, but this did not turn out like a Baltimore. This did not turn out like a Ferguson. The police department did exactly what they did best...," said Singletary.

Authorities say Hasheem, who turned 17 on Thursday had been on the run since Wednesday night.

He was with private contractors who were in charge of transporting him from Florida to Southwest Detectives at 55th and Pine streets.

Police say around 6:30 p.m., the contractors were driving a Kia rental car in the area of 56th and Osage streets, when Hasheem got out and fled.

It appears that the child locks were not on in the back seat.

On Thursday, his family made contact with him and tried to get him to turn himself in.

"Our goal today is to surrender him to the police to make sure he's safe," said former traffic court judge Willie Singletary, suspect's brother.

Hasheem was originally wanted in connection with a string of gunpoint robberies and home invasions.

"At this point. I don't think he's armed and I don't think he's dangerous. He's just a boy, whose birthday is today, and who happens to be scared," said Singletary.

Hasheem is facing serious charges and the longer he's out there, the worse things will get for him.

"I can see the fact that he is scared. He has to trust the police department, trust his family, and trust his friends that nothing is going to happen. Just turn yourself in, the longer things move on, the greater the chance that things will happen," said Lt. John Walker, Philadelphia Police.

The teen, from the 3900 block of Wallace Street, is well known in his neighborhood.

Police say he was spotted in the neighborhood around his mother's house.

They urged him to turn himself in for the sake of his family.

"Most importantly he has to look out for his mother. His mother is in that house. That's the house we'll continue to target. His mother's life will be disrupted, his grandmother's house will be disrupted until we find him," said Lt. Walker.

Hasheem has turned himself and was taken into custody without incident.