A cluster of five violent robberies in South Philadelphia has neighbors rattled and police on high alert, after a crew of young men allegedly jumped riders, stole bikes and wallets, and left one victim unconscious in the street.
All five attacks happened within blocks of each other over the past month, mostly in the late-night hours. In several cases, victims were shoved off electric bicycles, punched, kicked, and robbed of cash, wallets, and at least one e-bike. One person was knocked out and suffered what officers called a possible concussion, according to NBC10 Philadelphia.
The spree kicked off around 1:45 a.m. on Jan. 17 on the 900 block of Washington Avenue, when police say three young men pushed a rider off an electric bicycle and took the bike. On Feb. 3, two more incidents hit the neighborhood: one on the 1100 block of Carpenter Street and another on the 1100 block of South 10th Street. In those cases, three men allegedly punched and kicked victims and stole cash and an e-bike…