Teen killed leaving tavern

Detectives continue to search for a suspect in a weekend shooting believed to have stemmed from an earlier argument.

Homicide detectives are still investigating the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old South Philly male after he left a tavern in Grays Ferry Saturday night.

Police found Dwayne Parks laying in the intersection of 33rd and Reed streets at 2:30 a.m. with a gunshot wound to his chest, said Homicide Sgt. Alex Strong.

Parks was rushed to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and pronounced dead 20 minutes later, police said. The Homicide Unit has chosen to withhold the victim’s address.

Police have no suspect in the shooting, which they believe was the result of an earlier argument between the teenager and another man, Strong said.

To report information, call the Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334/3335.

Masked gunmen strike

Two males wearing Halloween masks and white T-shirts shot a 24-year-old man multiple times in the stomach Saturday on the 600 block of Oregon Avenue, police said.

According to Sgt. Steve Biello of South Detective Division, the masked mystery men approached the victim around 11:20 p.m. and unloaded the bullets.

The victim, a resident of the 2700 block of Marshall Street, was transported to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. He was listed in guarded condition by Tuesday.

To report information, call South Detectives at 215-686-3013.

Cop shoots suspect in butt

A 17th District police officer shot an 18-year-old boy in the buttocks after the teen pulled a gun on the officer, according to reports.

Police arrested Omar Robinson, of the 1800 block of South Taylor Street, shortly before 4 a.m. Monday and charged him with simple and aggravated assault and related offenses in the incident, said Sgt. Steve Biello of South Detectives.

It all started when Officer Robert Ellis responded to a report of a man armed with a gun outside the 1500 block of South Etting Street, Biello said. When Ellis confronted the suspect on the 1600 block and ordered him to stop, the teenager pointed a gun at him, said the sergeant.

The officer fired one shot, striking the teen in the right buttocks, Biello said.

The suspect was admitted to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for treatment.

Grocer robbed at gunpoint

An unknown male waited for the owner of a local market to exit the store Sunday, then robbed him of a substantial sum at gunpoint, police said.

The 51-year-old owner of Asia Supermarket, 16th Street and Washington Avenue, exited the store at 8:40 p.m. with a night-deposit bag containing $26,000, said Sgt. Steve Biello of South Detectives. Meanwhile, the thief was hiding next to the victim’s car in the parking lot.

In a cruel twist of fate, the merchant tried to make a run for it, but dropped the bag in his haste, Biello said. The assailant, believed to be in his 30s, recovered the bag and fled on foot.

To report information, call South Detectives at 216-686-3013.

Holdup report held-up

A 47-year-old man waited two days to report that he allegedly was assaulted and robbed of $1,500 cash at gunpoint, police said.

The crime occurred last Friday around 4 a.m. on the 2900 block of New Hope Street, but the victim did not report it to South Detective Division until Monday, said Sgt. Steve Biello.

According to reports, a man and a woman in their 30s approached the victim and struck him in the head and face, then demanded his money at gunpoint. They fled with the cash, the victim told police.

The victim, of the 1500 block of Mifflin Street, suffered bruises to his face, Biello said.

To report information, call South Detectives at 216-686-3013.

Arson Destroys building

The Department of Licenses and Inspections condemned two adjoining properties after they were damaged by a fire that broke out at the site of new housing construction at 760 Darien St., fire officials said.

Fire marshals determined the cause of Friday’s blaze to be arson, said Executive Fire Chief William Brightcliffe.

South Detective Division is handling the criminal investigation. As of Tuesday, police had no suspects or witnesses in the arson that started around 4:15 p.m. in the Bella Vista neighborhood.

The blaze originated on the first-floor kitchen and extended up an open stairwell and through the ductwork of the three-story dwelling, said Sgt. Steve Biello of South Detectives. Bella Vista Development Corporation owns the building, which police said was valued at $300,000. The property was being constructed as a luxury townhouse.

The entire north wall of the structure collapsed onto a single-story multiple dwelling next door, and then the blaze spread to two other dwellings at the roof level before firefighters had it under control at 4:37 p.m., Brightcliffe said. No one was injured.

To report information, call the Philadelphia Fire Department at 215-686-1300 or South Detectives at 215-686-3013.

Tractor-trailer blues

Just in time for rush hour last Thursday, a tractor-trailer hauling boxes of blue jeans lost its load after exiting the northbound ramp of I-95 from the Walt Whitman Bridge a little too fast, police said.

The accident happened around 8 a.m. and involved no injuries. According to Officers Phil Devlin and James Diamond of the Highway Patrol Truck Enforcement Division, the truck’s driver exceeded the posted 25-mph speed limit on the off-ramp.

When it became apparent that his 53-foot trailer would not make the 90-degree turn at the top of the ramp, the driver attempted to brake and counter-steer, taking out 300 feet of guardrail and two light standards in the process, said Devlin.

With the entire right side of the rig ripped open like a sardine can, boxes of blue jeans poured out onto the highway and also onto the southbound lanes of I-95 below. Traffic was clogged on the interstate while crews cleared the cargo.

Highway Patrol issued the truck’s driver citations for driving at an unsafe speed and logbook violations, Devlin said. According to Pennsylvania law, the operator of a commercial motor vehicle cannot exceed 10 hours of consecutive drive time without an eight-hour rest, the officer noted.

The truck and its two drivers were from California. Both men caught buses back to Los Angeles while their truck was towed to the First Judicial Holding Facility, said Devlin.