Police Continue Search For Boyd's, Union League Suspects
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Police are asking for the public's help to identify the people involved in brazen acts of vandalism and theft at two city institutions this week.
The first happened just after 3:00 a.m. Monday at The Union League.
Police said Reginald Phillips, 50, ripped a six-foot section of brass railing from the iconic staircase in front of the building and ran off with it. The damage is estimated at $100,000.
"That piece of metal was sold at one of the scrapyards, so from that they were able to develop a little bit more information that led them to this individual," said Lt. John Stanford.
While police search for Phillips, who Stanford said has some 30 prior arrests, they're also on the lookout for a group of people who crashed a red 2016 Toyota RAV4 through the front of high-end clothing store Boyd's just before 4:00 Tuesday morning.
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The video also shows several others jumping out of a silver 2012 Mercedes S350 and rushing out of the store with an estimated $50,000 in stolen merchandise. Investigators are looking for six to seven people.
"We're hoping that somebody can recognize some small element of one of those vehicles or something that may have jumped out at them in terms of the clothing that these individuals were wearing," Stanford said.
Stanford said the two incidents this week are not indicative of a spike in crime downtown.
"Some incidents that have happened again more so, more high profile in nature, as opposed to something that people should be alarmed about," he said. "Center City is still very safe."
The red Toyota RAV4 used in the Boyd's break-in should have significant back end damage.
If you know the whereabouts of Phillips or the men in the surveillance video, police want to hear from you.
