Police are on the hunt for a man caught on surveillance video stealing donations for the two fallen Philadelphia firefighters.
It happened Friday during a benefit for the families of Lieutenant Robert Neary and Firefighter Daniel Sweeney, who were killed in the line of duty last Monday.
The benefit took place at the SmokeEaters Pub on the 7600 block of Frankford Avenue, a popular hangout for firefighters. The restaurant immediately began collecting donations for the families of Neary and Sweeney after their deaths. During Friday's benefit, restaurant staff say they put thousands of dollars' worth of gift cards into bags and stored them in the basement.
At 10:40 p.m., police say a man was seen in the basement of the bar, cutting open raffle baskets, removing the gift cards, then concealing them in his pockets before leaving the area.
Credit: Philadelphia Police
"I don't care if you're down on your luck," said George Kilcullen, one of the people who donated. "Go panhandle on the corner, do something. But how do you come into something like this and justify it in your mind? You just can't."
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The suspect is described as a 40-year-old white male standing between 5-foot-10 and 6-feet, weighing between 280 and 300 pounds with short, dark hair. He was last seen wearing light-colored pants and a t-shirt with a light-colored, short sleeved button shirt covering it up.
If you have any information on this incident, please call Philadelphia Police at 215-686-3153.
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