Early-morning fatal shooting

A single gunshot blast to the head felled a 21-year-old early Tuesday on the 2200 block of South Sixth Street, near Moyamensing Avenue.

Montez Felder, from the 2800 block of South Marshall Street, was pronounced dead at the scene by a medic 10 minutes after police found him at 12:43 a.m., Officer Beth Skala of the Police Public Affairs Unit said.

Detectives have no motive or suspect in the shooting.

To report information, call the Homicide Division at 215-686-3334/5.

Bust leads to three arrests

Narcotics Field Unit One officers busted a suspected meth lab in a Point Breeze garage and arrested three people, including a 52-year-old man who allegedly ran the enterprise, Unit Capt. Tony Newsome told the Review.

Monday’s raid was the result of police intelligence, not a public tip, the captain said.

Armed with a search warrant, police converged on the garage on the corner of 25th and McKean streets at about 6:40 p.m.

Newsome said the suspects used the garage to cook the drugs but had moved the equipment prior to police arrival — something that is not unusual when it comes to meth operations, he added.

"Rather than set up a permanent meth lab, they will cook and then move the equipment [to another location]. It’s more or less like a mobile lab. That makes it much more difficult for law enforcement to find them," the captain said.

From the garage, police confiscated 441.7 grams of meth with a street value of $44,170; $3,211 in cash; an assortment of books on laboratories; beaker stands; and other paraphernalia.

Hazardous materials teams from the Philadelphia Fire Department joined police in the cleanup.

Arrested at the scene along with the 52-year-old male, were two others police believe were involved in the operation — a 38-year-old female and a 34-year-old male. Because the investigation is ongoing and police are looking for the location where the equipment was moved, the captain would not release names or addresses.

All three were charged with possession with intent to deliver, manufacture, possession and conspiracy.

To report information, call the Narcotics Bureau at 215-685-1123 or the Police Department’s drug hot line at 215-686-DRUG.

Multiple gunshot wounds

Police responding to a report of gunfire at 7:45 p.m. Jan. 24 found an 18-year-old gunned down on the 1600 block of Titan Street.

As of Tuesday, the victim was still in critical condition at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital with two wounds to his right leg, one to his right arm and another to his left leg.

The teen told investigators he was walking on 16th Street near Titan when he was ambushed, Detective Joe Chiaro of South Detective Division, said.

At the scene, police recovered 14 spent 9mm cartridges.

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

Man robbed, stabbed

Police arrested a woman after she and two males allegedly beat and knifed a man during a robbery. The incident happened 4 a.m. last Thursday on the 1800 block of Wilder Street, Detective Joe Chiaro of South Detectives said.

Regina Williams, 31, from the block where the incident occurred, was charged with robbery, aggravated and simple assault, possession of an instrument of crime and receiving stolen property.

The 34-year-old victim, who sustained a wound to his right hand, did not seek hospital care.

After the trio approached the victim and demanded money, he refused, so they allegedly punched and kicked him, with one pulling a knife and stabbing his hand, police said. Rummaging through his pockets, the alleged assailants swiped $20 before running in an unknown direction.

An arrest is pending for the males, Chiaro said.

Beware of scam artists

Robbers posing as Water Department employees or city contractors have been preying on elderly residents throughout South Philly, Detective Joe Chiaro of South Detectives said.

The latest incident happened at about 2 p.m. Tuesday in the 3rd District, where a man posing as a city plumber told the victim a water main broke on her block and he had to check her basement. Including that case, investigators are looking into at least five incidents since Jan. 18 where offenders showed up at homes during the day and told victims they needed access to the basement to read a meter or check a problem. Once home owners took the person to the requested area, several others entered the dwelling through unlocked or open front doors and stole valuables — mostly jewelry and cash, the detective said.

In the last two incidents, victims described the offender as a cleanshaven white male, age 35 to 40, with a thin build, Chiaro said. Investigators are not sure if he is responsible for all of the incidents or just the last two.

Police suggest seniors safeguard themselves and their valuables by always checking identification and/or asking the person to wait outside while they call a utility company to find out if any workers were dispatched to the block.

House fire spreads

Heavy smoke and flames from a two-story dwelling on the 100 block of Roseberry Street spread to a home directly behind it on the 100 block of Gladstone Street.

Flames erupted at about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday in the floor of a rear second-story room and shot through the roof, causing heavy fire damage, Fire Chief Daniel Williams said. Wooden joists between the first and second level that had dried out and decayed over time — the result of a deteriorating fireplace — were ignited by a fixed home heating unit in the basement, the chief said. The cause of the blaze was determined to be the hot air from the heater, which ignited the joists, Williams said.

Occupants of both the Roseberry and Gladstone affected dwellings were safely evacuated, but Williams had no information on how many people were removed or their ages, or the amount of damage the Gladstone home sustained.

The blaze was put out at 6:49 a.m.

All Review police-, court- and fire-related items are collected from or verified by official sources.

Items are roughly prioritized by urgency or news value. If you have already reported an incident or missing person to police and would like to inform us, call crime reporter Lorraine Gennaro at 215-336-2500 ext. 124.

Most wanted

Police said former convicted felon Patrick Dillon, 19, and an accomplice are wanted for the Jan. 14 gunpoint robbery of a teen who was walking his dog on the 500 block of Wolf Street.

Detectives have not located the second man and had no description.

Dillon’s last known addresses were the 2400 block of South Fifth Street and the 400 block of Durfor Street.

Wearing ski masks and brandishing guns, the suspects walked up to the 17-year-old at about 10:25 p.m. and demanded money, police said.

The victim surrendered two cell phones — with a combined value of about $200 — and $250 in cash. After allegedly threatening to shoot if he tried to follow them, the perpetrators took off on foot, going south on Fifth Street.

Dillon faces charges of robbery, several firearms violations — including a former felon in possession of a firearm — theft, possession of an instrument of crime, terroristic threats, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.

Dillon was described as a white male, about 6 foot, 145 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair.

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