Mayhem and Looting Extend To Northeast Philadelphia
by Alex Lloyd Gross
During the night of October 27 into the 28th, 2020, large gangs of thieves made their way into Northeast Philadelphia. They were using the police shooting of Walter Wallace as an excuse to break into businesses . It was not limited to west Philly, where the shooting happened. Gangs of thieves cased the Roosevelt Mall but were not successful . They were scared off by police, security and roving citizen patrols.
Across the street, a side door of PC Richards was pried open and hoodlums ran out with televisions, before they were stopped by the roving citizen patrol. They dropped the TV’s and ran off. One male ran so fast, he lost his shoe. Outside, on Bustleton Avenue, police arrived on scene to guard the stolen , discarded televisions. The nearby liquor store had a smashed window and a Game Stop near Academy and Grant was looted.
The shopping center at Adams and Rising Sun got hit hard, as did a drug store at Castor and Cottman. Aves. The thieves are emboldened because the feel DA Larry Krasner will cut them a break. During the George Floyd riots, Mayor James Kenney dismissed all of the civil infractions people were cited for and some arrests as well. Throughout the night, police rode around shopping centers with their overhead lights to dissuade people from entering the properties.
Shopping centers along Aramingo Avenue got hit hard as well. The funny thing is about looters, they steal anything and usually have no idea what they are taking. They will talk past an item costing $6000 to steal a rack of damaged clearance. They will take defective merchandise, as long as they can say they stole it.
Driveways around Philadelphia Mills ( Franklin Mills) were closed off with barricades, in anticipation of the National Guard which will be deployed by tomorrow.