Philadelphia police are searching for seven teenage suspects wanted in an attack on a 73-year-old man who later died of head injuries sustained during the assault.
The Philadelphia Police Department released disturbing surveillance footage Friday of the fatal attack, which occurred around 2:30 a.m. on June 24.
In the footage, a group of teenagers can be seen chasing a person, who is blurred, down a street in North Philadelphia. One of the teenagers is caught throwing a traffic cone at the victim. A girl is then seen picking up the traffic cone and repeatedly throwing it at the victim. Another suspect appears to be filming the assault on a cell phone.
Philadelphia police released surveillance video of a deadly attack, which occurred on June 24, 2022.
Philadelphia Police Department
“The teenagers struck the victim several times with objects, knocking her to the ground and causing head injuries,” the department said in a statement. “The victim was taken to hospital where he died from his injuries the next day.”
Police identified the victim as James Lambert of North Philadelphia.
Homicide Capt. Jason Smith told reporters during a briefing Friday that the medical examiner has ruled Lambert’s cause of death as blunt force trauma, ABC Philadelphia station WPVI reported.
Philadelphia police released surveillance video of a deadly attack, which occurred on June 24, 2022.
Philadelphia Police Department
Police said they are looking for four boys and three girls who appear to be in their early to mid-teens. Smith said at least two teenagers were involved in the assault, WPVI reported.
The city is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, as is the case with all open homicides.
Smith is calling on the parents of the suspects to come forward.
“The message I would like to convey is to the parents of these minors, if they are aware that their son or daughter is involved in this incident, I think the best course of action would be for them to contact a lawyer and then contact in contact with the homicide unit,” he said.
The news of the assault comes a day after the summer curfew for minors came into force.
Until September 29, people between the ages of 14 and 17 must be at home before 10:00 p.m. Before, the last date some teenagers could go out was midnight. Children under the age of 13 must be at home by 9.30pm
The modified curfew is an attempt to keep young people off the streets and safe during a high-crime season, officials said.
“We’re seeing our youth involved in more criminal incidents, criminal activity simply because they’re staying out late,” said Councilwoman Katherine Gilmore Richardson, who proposed the bill changing the curfew. WPVI.
For those found violating the curfew, police will attempt to reunite them with their families at home or a compound or take them to one of several community centers that have been set up during the curfew.
