Police arrested a teen boy accused of committing several armed robberies in West and Southwest Philadelphia in a two-week span.
Police say Ma-King Stewart, 17, was involved in armed robberies and possibly a homicide between March 17 and March 31.
On March 17, a taxi driver told police he was getting into his cab at 1:15 a.m. outside of the 5900 block of Market Street when he was approached by Stewart and three other people asking for a ride. The cab driver and the four suspects then got into an argument over the price of the fare. Stewart then allegedly gave one of the other suspects a gun. The suspect then fired into the cab before all four fled the scene. The taxi driver wasn’t hurt during the incident.
On March 26, Stewart allegedly approached a man on N. 61st Street around 1:30 a.m. Stewart, who was armed with a gun, asked the man where he was from and patted him down, police said. The victim was in possession of a Glock 23, .40 cal loaded with 19 rounds with textured grips and a red LaserMax internal laser at the time, police said. Stewart allegedly pulled the weapon from the victim’s waistband area and then fled south. Police said Stewart used the weapon he stole during the remaining robberies.
On the night of March 26 at 11:10 p.m., Stewart pulled out the stolen gun and robbed a man of his wallet and car keys on 300 N. Salford Street, police said. He then allegedly drove the victim’s vehicle about one block away on Salford Street, parked it and then fled the scene on a bicycle.
Five minutes later, Stewart approached another man while riding his bike on 59th Street and Chancellor, police said. Stewart pointed a gun at the man and then stole the victim’s backpack which contained camera equipment, according to investigators. He then continued riding his bicycle northbound on 59th Street, police said.
About 15 minutes later police responded to a shooting on 5941 Larchwood Avenue. When they arrived they found a 17-year-old boy suffering from several gunshot wounds to the chest. The victim was taken to Presbyterian Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police say Stewart is a suspect in the homicide.
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On March 27 around 9 p.m. a man was walking through a park on 5700 Haverford Avenue when he began arguing with Stewart and a group of teens, police said. Stewart later told investigators the man had pinched his female friend’s buttocks, according to officials. Stewart allegedly pulled out a gun and stole $200 from the man. Police also said that a gunman on a bike fired four shots at the man though Stewart denied that he was the gunman in the incident during an interview with investigators, according to officials. The victim was not injured during the incident.
About a half hour later, Stewart approached another man who was walking on 500 N. Robinson Street, police said. The teen allegedly took out a gun and stole the victim’s blue denim jacket, trans-pass, debit card, ID, and Android cellphone. Another suspect acted as a lookout during the incident, police said. The two suspects then fled on foot westbound on Girard Avenue towards 62nd Street, according to investigators.
On March 28, around 1 a.m., Stewart walked outside of a strip club on the 6100 block of Market Street and went to a Chinese store that was next to the club, police said. During this time another suspect pulled out a gun and robbed a man who was at the store, according to investigators. The armed robber then walked back into the strip club with Stewart, police said. A short time later, the bouncer kicked Stewart and the other suspect out of the strip club, according to investigators. As the two left they were confronted by the robbery victim and his father, police said. The four began to argue after the father asked Stewart and the other suspect who robbed his son, according to investigators.
Police say the father then punched the man who robbed his son in the face. Stewart then allegedly retaliated by punching the father. The fight continued until the bouncer told Stewart to walk away, according to investigators. One of the suspects then shot the father in the face. Stewart claimed that the other suspect was the one who opened fire on the victim, police said. The father was taken to Presbyterian Hospital where he was listed in critical condition. He was later released from the hospital.
On March 30 shortly before 10:30 p.m., Stewart allegedly stole cash from a man who he claimed had earlier tried to sell marijuana to him at a deli on the 100 block of N. 59th Street. Stewart then shot the man four times in the right arm, police said. The victim was taken to the hospital where he remains in stable condition.
During the morning of March 31, police executed search warrants at Stewart’s last known residences. After the search of the first residence was unsuccessful, police found Stewart in the bedroom closet of the second home on the 5100 block of Parkside Avenue, investigators said. Stewart was then taken into custody. During a conversation with both police and his mother, Stewart allegedly admitted to being involved in the robberies though he did not admit to being involved in the homicide, according to officials.
