Philadelphia Police Searching For 3 Suspects Behind String Of Robberies In South Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A young man is recovering after being jumped and pistol-whipped in South Philadelphia Tuesday night. The attack on him was part of a string of robberies and now police are searching for three men in connection with the crime spree.
Philadelphia police say the attack and five others are all linked. All six attacks happened within the same general area and within an hour-and-a-half of each other.
That victim is now recovering at home.
"It's not a great feeling, I can tell you that much," Sal said.
Sal only wanted CBS3 to use his first name. He had to get seven stitches over his eye after he was attacked Tuesday night.
His attackers got his wallet, $300 in cash and his cellphone.
"Just the look on their face, you could tell they didn't care, they just wanted what I had," Sal said.
A neighbor's surveillance camera captured the attack.
Sal says he walking home from work around 10:45 p.m. He says he noticed his would-be attackers down the street but didn't think much of it.
"I know everybody up here and usually my neighbors are standing on the corner talking and everything. I thought it was them so I said, 'What's going on?' It wasn't them and they just rushed me. I tried fighting them off and one pulled out a gun on me," Sal said.
Sal says he was pistol-whipped during the attack.
The attack happened as Mayor Jim Kenney was claiming victory in his re-election bid. The mayor said Wednesday reducing gun violence and crime in the city is a signature part of his second-term agenda.
"I believe to my core that reducing poverty will reduce gun violence, increasing education will reduce gun violence," Kenney said.
The mayor says he's appropriating another $5 million to help with gun violence prevention. The money will go to helping with crisis intervention programs, mentorship and workforce development.
Money will also go to blight remediation by shoring up abandoned houses and securing vacant lots.
Back in South Philly, Sal says while he's a little shaken up, he dismissed his attackers.
"Just stupid. What did you get out of it? Honestly, you got $300 and a phone that you probably aren't going to be able to use and some clothes and a bag. Just stupid," Sal said.
Police were able to find an SUV related to the attacks, but the suspects are still on the run. Police called them serial criminals.
Police say they will test the SUV for fingerprints in hopes of finding the attackers.
