Caught on camera: Robbers target victims at front door of South Philadelphia home
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It was a scary moment caught on a doorbell camera as three men were robbed in front of a home in South Philadelphia. It didn't take long for word to spread across the tight-knit neighborhood.
"It is scary. It's really, really scary," said Anne Sosalski, who has lived in the area for 40 years.
A neighbor shared the video with Action News showing the men approaching the door on the corner of Ritner and South Opal streets on Friday at about 10 p.m.
Police also have video of the crime. The owner of a corner store says the three victims had just left his shop. Once they crossed onto the corner of Ritner and Opal, two men approach them.
One of the suspects, a man wearing a hood, approaches the victims from the right side of the screen and tells the two victims, "Turn around, turn around. Get on the (expletive) door."
The victims face the door, with one of them holding his hands up in the air, as the thieves go through the pockets of his sweatshirt and jeans.
The video shows another victim getting the same treatment with the thieves stuffing his belongings in their pockets as they look around to see if anybody spots their crime. Police say the thieves took three iPhones and one wallet.
Leota Thaire, a long-time resident, talked to one of the victims not long after the crime.
"He said that they were afraid for their lives," she said.
At the end of the robbery, the three thieves direct the victims to lay face-down on the ground before running off.
The suspects then ran away down Ritner Street towards 20th Street. Police were soon on the scene. But they didn't recover any weapons or make any arrests.
The suspects are described as being in their mid to late 20s. Both are about 5 feet 10 inches. One weighed about 165 pounds and was wearing dark clothing with a hood as he held a silver revolver. The other suspect weighed about 220 pounds and had patchy facial hair. He was wearing dark clothing with a zip-up jacket.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Philadelphia Police Department.
Neighbors say getting caught on camera is a just punishment for the robbers who likely thought there would never be video of the crime.
"It's kinda stupid because today there are cameras everywhere," said Gene Foschini of South Philadelphia. "You can't just do whatever you want to do."
