Three masked men carjacked three family members, including a man with cerebral palsy, at gunpoint early Monday morning in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia, according to police.
A 40-year-old woman, her 52-year-old brother who has cerebral palsy, and her 25-year-old niece pulled up in front of their home on the 500 block of Gerhard Street around 12:35 a.m. As the trio got out of their vehicle, three masked and armed men approached them, according to investigators.
The 40-year-old woman told police she was attempting to unlock her door when one of the suspects approached her from behind and grabbed her pocketbook. When the woman turned around she spotted a second suspect holding a gun to her brother’s head by their car.
“They pretty much got him and put a gun to his head,” said the woman, who did not want to be identified. “One came up beside me and just asked for my purse and cellphone and the other one got my niece."
Residents in the area heard the man's cries for help as the suspect held him at gunpoint.
"The first thing that came to my mouth was, ‘Oh Jesus! Oh Jesus! Oh Jesus!’ I was so scared," he said.
The three suspects then jumped into the woman’s vehicle, backed up into a car that was parked behind it and traveled westbound on Gerhard Street.
The woman contacted her alarm company who notified police. When police arrived they searched the area but couldn’t find the suspects. None of the victims were injured during the incident.
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The suspects stole credit, bank and ID cards from the victims, their glasses, iPhones and their house and car keys. Neighbors showed NBC10 surveillance video of the suspects that they plan on turning over to police. The video shows the three masked men in hoodies going down Gerhard Street from Ridge Avenue. Moments later a man with a gun runs back up the street with the victim’s purse and the two other suspects take off in the family’s car.
News of the robbery sparked outrage on social media.
“We’re a lot scared and a lot afraid for our safety and our children’s safety,” said Maureen Wilson, a neighbor.
The victim told NBC10 that while she’s upset about what happened she’s happy her and her family were unharmed.
“Thank God they spared our lives,” she said. “It could have turned out so much worse.”
The first suspect is described as a man in his 20s with a thin to medium build standing between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-10. The second suspect is described as a thin man in his 20s standing between 5-foot-9 and 6-feet. The third suspect is described as a thin man in his 20s standing 6-feet. All three suspects were wearing masks and all-black clothing.
The family's vehicle is a blue, 2008 Acura MDX with the Pennsylvania tag, GVH0977.
If you have any information on the incident, please call Philadelphia Police.