PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia police have charged two 19-year-olds in connection with a series of gunpoint robberies that targeted pedestrians carrying bags, purses, or backpacks across multiple neighborhoods earlier this month.
Jaiden Bethea and Kyeme Hunter face charges stemming from at least seven robberies that occurred on Oct. 2, Oct. 4, and Oct. 6 in the 9th and 22nd Police Districts, which include parts of Center City and North Philadelphia, according to FOX 29. Investigators say evidence may also link the pair to an eighth incident.
Central Detective Division investigators said the suspects typically approached victims who were carrying bags or similar items and robbed them at gunpoint. Bethea faces charges that include criminal conspiracy, robbery, possession of a firearm with an altered serial number, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, possession of an instrument of crime, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person. Hunter faces similar robbery-related counts.
The arrests were announced late Thursday, Oct. 29. Police have not released additional details about any recovered weapons, stolen property, or whether they expect further charges.