Philadelphia Police were looking not only for the man in the “Pirates” hat who was caught on camera stealing cigarettes from the Wawa on Cottman Avenue but also the two people he was with at the time.
A man in a Pittsburgh Pirates hat roughed up a couple of Northeast Philadelphia Wawa workers while going behind the counter to steal four cartons of Newport cigarettes. And he had help, according to police.
The violent heist began as what appeared to be a cigarette sale inside the convenience store at 801 Cottman Avenue in the city’s Burholme section just after midnight on July 30.
In surveillance video released by police Tuesday you see a man – wearing a black-and-red Pirates hat with a T-shirt with “Got Bit” written on the front and “Bite” on the back who carried a light blue backpack – get asked for ID by the 21-year-old woman behind the counter. The man hands over the ID and as the woman appears to check it he appears to reach over the counter to grab a carton of smokes.
The woman pulls the carton away and that’s when the “customer” goes around the back of the counter, pushing another female employee out of the way before shoving the 21-year-old from his path. The man then bends down, grabs a few more cartons and quickly walks out of the store as the employees, clad in Hoagiefest shirts, follow.
As the suspect gets to the door, a woman – dressed in dark clothing and wearing a Jeff cap who he entered with – leads him out to a waiting dark-colored Saturn sedan. The car – driven by a third unknown person – then drives off north on Rockwell Avenue, said police.
Investigators asked that anyone with information on the heist contact Northeast Det. Marrero at 215-685-3153/54.
