Caught on video: Police searching for armed suspects who carjacked driver in Fishtown
With the colder months setting in, Philadelphia police are reminding everyone to never leave their car running and unattended.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Police are investigating a carjacking in Fishtown on Friday night. It's one of more than 1,200 carjackings in Philadelphia so far this year.
Investigators are looking at surveillance video depicting the violent crime near the corner of Berks and Belgrade streets around 11 p.m. Friday.
In the video, you can hear the suspects threaten the victim and point a gun at him. Police say the three suspects also robbed the victim before driving off in his 2012 Honda Civic.
"I actually happened to walk by the guy who was carjacked minutes before and I thought, 'huh, he should be careful' because he was sitting there not paying attention," recalled Minna Aaparyti, who owns Craft Foundry on the corner.
She says this isn't the first time there's been a carjacking nearby.
"I was shocked that it happened here and then it happened here, which is really that close. Really too close for comfort," Aaparyti said, pointing to both Berks and Belgrade streets.
Philadelphia police say there have been over 1,200 carjackings in the city so far in 2022, which is nearly double last year. There have been eight incidents in the 26th District in the last 30 days.
"It can happen anywhere. It can happen on your block. It can happen outside your work or a place you're very familiar with, and unfortunately, we take those areas for granted. We assume we're safe in those locations," said Philadelphia Police Inspector Charles Layton.
Investigators say this is a crime of opportunity and criminals are targeting distracted drivers.
"You see someone in their car, their car is running, their head is down, and we're unfortunately in a society where we're always looking at our phones," said Layton.
While police hope surveillance video helps lead them to an arrest in Friday's case, neighbors in Fishtown are on edge.
"It feels like such a safe neighborhood. Everybody walks their dog here. There's a lot of kids that walk around here so it's really scary," said Allison McGee, who works at Whipped Bakeshop.
"You have to keep a lookout. Neighbors have to look out for each other. Just know your whereabouts and what's going on around you," said Jeff Spiker, who lives in Fishtown.
With the colder months setting in too, police are reminding everyone to never leave their car running and unattended.
