South Philly police impostors commit robbery: Investigators

Charles Mostoller/Metro

Philadelphia police are looking for two people who allegedly posed as police officers during two Sunday morning incidents.

Investigators claim a man and woman exited a car and approached a woman on Jackson Street in South Philadelphia early Sunday morning, Fox reported. After the man flashed a badge, the duo allegedly identified themselves as police officers and demanded that the woman come over to them, but she ran away as the suspects fled on Fifth Street.

Later in the morning, officers responded to a call of a robbery in progress on East Passyunk Avenue where a 21-year-old man claimed that a suspect, with a female accomplice, identified himself as a police officer and allegedly took his wallet to verify his ID, and when the wallet was returned, all the money was gone, Fox reported.

Police are now researching nearby surveillance cameras that may have captured the alleged incidents, ABC reported.

“I would say this is one of the safest spots in this area, but I guess that might be what makes it, you know, all the more vulnerable to something like that,” Michael Stoloski said to ABC. “You get a lot of trusting people here.”

The first suspect has been described as a 5-foot-5-inch bald white male standing between the ages of 30 and 40, Fox reported, adding the second suspect is described as a 5-foot-5-inch white female between the ages of 25 and 35 with black hair, a stocky build and glasses.

“It’s a great city. It’s a great neighborhood, but they say at Christmas time they go shopping for regular people,” Tony Dirico was quoted by ABC.

The suspects were allegedly in a silver Nissan sedan with a light color interior, possibly a 2007 or 2008 model, according to Fox.

Police told ABC that, when stopped by a plainclothes officer, people can ask to see their photo ID and badge, or they may call 911 and request a marked unit to be sent to the location.

Metro Philadelphia