Police Make Arrests In Two Kensington Murders
by Alex Lloyd Gross
Two murders in the Kensington section of Philadelphia have been solved and the person (s) police say are responsible have been arrested, police reported. Both murders were unrelated to each other.
Burnett
In the first case, Leroy Robinson, 61, has been charged with the murder of Diamond Brown. Officers responded to a report of a shooting on Friday, July 26th, at approximately 5:54 am on the 3800 block of Kensington Avenue. They found Brown suffering from gunshot wounds and transported her to Temple University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 6:50 am.
Following an investigation by the PPD’s Homicide Unit, Robinson was identified as a suspect. He surrendered to police on July 28th. The District Attorney’s Office has charged him with Murder, Violations of the Uniform Firearms Act (VUFA), Persons Not to Possess Firearms (PIC), Receiving Stolen Property (REAP), and Tampering with Evidence.
A second murder was solved from July 12,2024. Police gave the following information on that case:
Shawayne Burnett, 44, has been arrested for the murder of Jean Ortiz-Collazo. Officers responded to a shooting on Friday, July 12th, at approximately 3:36 am on the 3100 block of Kensington Avenue. They found Ortiz-Collazo suffering from a gunshot wound to the neck and transported him to Temple University Hospital in critical condition. He succumbed to his injuries on July 23rd.
Detectives from the Homicide Unit identified Burnett as a suspect and arrested him on Monday, July 24th. He has been charged with murder, criminal conspiracy, and robbery.
Both Investigations Remain Ongoing
The Philadelphia Police Department urges anyone with information about either homicide to contact the Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling or texting 215-686-TIPS (8477) or online at www.phillypolice.com.