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A man threatened to infect a Bella Vista business manager with HIV via a needle if he did not supply him with money.
The offender approached a 38-year-old man inside his place of employment at Chapterhouse Café and Gallery, 620 S. Ninth St., at 5:45 p.m. Sunday and after learning he was a manager, asked him to step outside, Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detective Division said. The supervisor agreed and walked to the front of the business where the man handed him a note that read, “I don’t want to hurt you. Give me the money from the register. I have HIV needles and a knife. I know I will get caught eventually. But I have to do this to save my girl. It ain’t worth your life.”
The offender pulled a syringe from his pants pocket and tried to stab the man, but a passer-by separated the two, Tolliver said. The offender ran north on Ninth and west on South Street.
The manager was unharmed and did not turn over any money, Tolliver said.
The suspect was described as white, age 20 to 25, 5-foot-8, thin; having short, brown hair, no facial hair and acne scarring on his face; and wearing a black North Face hoody and black jeans.
To report information, call South Detectives’ tip line at 215-685-1635 or visit www.phillypolice.com/forms.
Contact Managing Editor Amanda L. Snyder at asnyder@southphillyreview.com or ext. 117.
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