August 24, 2026
Thom Carroll/For PhillyVoice
Philadelphia police are searching for four men who were allegedly involved in a string of armed robberies in Center City early Sunday morning.
Philadelphia police are searching for at least four men who were involved in a string of armed robberies in Center City early Sunday morning. Video of one of the incidents that was posted to the Word to the Wise Podcast's social media showed a masked man with an AR-15-style rifle forcing a victim to get on his knees and hand over a piece of jewelry on his wrist.
The robbery occurred at about 3 a.m. at the 1500 block of Locust Street. Two other men were robbed of their electronics, cash, wallets and jewelry at around the same area and time, 9th District Capt. Anthony Ganard said Monday.
Two of the victims complied with the robbers' requests, but one resisted and was pistol-whipped by a suspect, police said. He was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
After the robberies, the three armed men entered a gray Honda Accord and fled southbound on 15th Street. The driver is also wanted by police. The car was seen around the area for approximately three hours prior to the crimes.
Ganard said it's unusual for an AR-15-style rifle to be used in an armed robbery. It's unclear if the three victims were being targeted or if it was a random act, according to officials.
"We don't have any information on any similar robberies that match this," Ganard said during a news conference Monday afternoon. "... This is not something that we're seeing a lot of."
Investigators said they were able to recover other video evidence from nearby sources and that the car used in the robbery was reported stolen from Cheltenham Township on Aug. 19. The vehicle was recovered at an undisclosed location in Philadelphia at around 1 a.m. Monday, police said.
The investigation remains ongoing, and anyone with information in the case can contact the Philadelphia Police Department tip line at 215-686-TIPS.
