Police in Philadelphia are searching for seven juveniles wanted in connection with an attack on a 73-year-old man who succumbed to head injuries sustained in the attack.
Teenagers Allegedly Used Traffic Cones to Beat a 73-year-old Man!
Friday, June 24 at 2:30 a.m., the Philadelphia Police Department revealed a frightening CCTV film depicting a fatal attack.
In the video, a gang of adolescents can be seen pursuing a blurred individual across a street in North Philadelphia. One of the adolescents is seen throwing a traffic cone at the victim.
A girl is then observed taking up the traffic cone and hurling it at the victim multiple times. A second suspect appeared to be recording the assault on a mobile device.
“The adolescents assaulted the victim multiple times with objects, knocking him to the ground and sustaining head injuries,” according to a department statement. The man was transferred to the hospital, where he died the next day from his injuries.
Police identified the victim as North Philadelphia resident James Lambert.
According to WPVI, homicide captain Jason Smith informed reporters at a briefing on Friday that the medical examiner determined Lambert’s death was caused by blunt force trauma.
Four boys and three girls who look to be in their early to mid-teens are wanted by the police. WPVI reports that Smith stated that at least two juveniles participated in the assault.
As with other unsolved homicides, the city is offering a $20,000 prize for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Smith is requesting the suspects’ parents to come forward.
“The message I would like to convey to the parents of these children is that they should contact an attorney and then the homicide unit if they know that their child is involved in this occurrence,” he said.
The incident was reported one day after the summer curfew for kids took effect. Through September 29th, those aged 14 to 17 are required to be home by 10:00 p.m.
Previously, some youths were permitted to stay out until midnight. Those under the age of 13 must return home by 9:30 p.m.
The amended curfew is an effort to keep youth off the streets and safe during a high-crime season, according to officials.
WPVI quoted Councilwoman Katherine Gilmore Richardson, who presented the bill that amended the curfew, as saying, “We’re seeing more young people participating in criminal situations and criminal activity because they’re out later.”
Police will seek to reunite those who violate the curfew with their families at home or a precinct, or transport them to one of the numerous community centers that have been erected during the curfew.