February 10, 2016
Contributed Art/Philadelphia Police Department
Eric Haynes, 22, is charged with Robbery, Violation of Uniform Firearms Act and related offenses.
Philadelphia police have announced the arrest of a suspect in a string of December robberies that led investigators to pick up on a pattern common in the descriptions provided by victims in each incident.
According to authorities, the eight muggings occurred between Dec. 6 and Dec. 28, 2015, at the following locations in Philadelphia's 14th District.
• Dec. 6 - Lowber/Upsal Sts
• Dec. 8 - Thouron/Phil-Ellena Sts
• Dec. 9 - Upsal/Cedarbrook Sts
• Dec. 17 - Thouron/Phil-Ellena Sts
• Dec. 18 - 1300 Sedgewick St
• Dec. 23 - 1200 E Phil-Ellena St
• Dec. 26 - Upsal/Cedarbrook Sts
• Dec. 28 - 1200 Easton Rd
Investigators observed that each of the robberies took place between 6 a.m and 11:30 a.m. as the victims either waited at bus stops or walked to catch public transportation. All of the victims had their cell phones stolen and described the suspect as a black male in his early 20s, 5'8'' to 6'0,'' who wore a black or blue hooded sweatshirt and carried a black handgun.
After the final robbery at 1200 Easton Road on Dec. 28, investigators reviewed security footage appearing to show the suspect and his vehicle, a dark blue Hyundai Sonata, not far from the area of the robberies. Officers began patrolling the 14th District and on Dec. 30 conducted a vehicle stop of the Sonata.
The driver of the car, identified as 22-year-old Eric Haynes, possessed a black 9 MM handgun without a permit and was arrested for Violation of the Uniform Firearms Act. Upon further investigation, police found evidence linking Haynes to the string of robberies.
In addition to the gun charge, Harris is charged with robbery and related offenses for each of the eight December incidents.
