Pennsylvania
Are prisoner escapes on the rise in Pennsylvania? Here's what we know
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — As the search for 17-year-old murder suspect Shane Pryor continues in Philadelphia, many are asking why there seem to be so many prison escapes in recent months.
Action News covered at least seven escapes in 2023 in Pennsylvania, a majority of them in the Philadelphia region.
“If you’re seeing an increase in the number of murder suspects that have escaped, that is probably one indicator that escapes are probably going up,” said Bryce Peterson, a researcher with the Center of Naval Analyses (CNA), who focuses on correctional issues.
Data compiled by Action News shows a drop in escapes and attempts from 2015-2022.
READ MORE: Philadelphia police questioning person who may have picked up teen murder suspect after escape
Philadelphia police questioning person who may have picked up teen murder suspect after escape
In 2022, there were no reported prison escapes. However, Peterson believes the real number is probably much higher because many aren’t reported and there is no uniformity in reporting.
“Believe it or not, sometimes agencies, when an inmate escape happens during transport, they don’t call it an escape,” he said.
Peterson said in most cases, high profile escapees – like murderers – are captured quickly.
Pryor was in custody for a 2020 murder. He escaped late Wednesday morning while being transported by Juvenile Justice Services Center staffers after injuring his hand at the center.
New video released Thursday shows Pryor moments after he escaped from the parking lot in University City.
At about 11:55 a.m., he was seen on surveillance video in the lobby of the Hub for Clinical Collaboration building, which is located across the street from the main hospital, according to U.S. Marshals. Pryor asked an employee to use a phone and, after being denied, he left.
By 12:29 p.m., investigators believe Pryor obtained a ride out of University City.
Police are calling Pryor dangerous and urge the public to dial 911 if they spot him.
Copyright © 2024 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Pennsylvania
Police hunt for masked suspects who looted a Pennsylvania Lululemon overnight
Pennsylvania police are searching for at least two masked suspects believed to have looted a Lululemon store overnight.
At least two masked men broke into a Lululemon in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, around 2 a.m. Tuesday, police told NBC 10 Philadelphia. Ardmore, a suburb of Philadelphia, is home to about 14,000 people.
The suspected thieves used a sledgehammer to break the glass on the store’s front door, according to police.
Once they gained access, the masked individuals grabbed handfuls of merchandise, security footage shows. The men went in and out of the store several times, grabbing handfuls of items that included coats, vests and shirts from the men’s section, police told local outlet WPVI.
“This is taking it to another level,” Lower Merion Police Superintendent Andy Block told WPVI.
The suspects then loaded the merchandise into a U-Haul truck. Their truck was last seen at the intersection of Bryn Mawr Avenue and Woodbine Avenue, just a few miles from the store, police said.
The entire incident lasted about five minutes, which Block said is longer than usual for this type of burglary.
“Usually, it is because in a smash-and-grab situation they want to get in and get out before they’re identified or anybody’s notified on it,” Block told CBS Philadelphia.
Block told WPVI the store is a popular target for robbers, given that many of its items cost more than $100. Now, he expects the alleged thieves have sold or exchanged the items.
“They’re using it on the market, maybe they’re exchanging it for drugs, or they’re selling it on the black market. It’s a highly sought-after item,” he told WPVI.
Even though police say Lululemon is a popular target, Lt. Michael Keenan of the Lower Merion Police Department still called the incident “out of character.”
“This is an out of character, out of type incident where we don’t normally see people smashing windows in the middle of the night. But, certainly this is something that is distinct,” Keenan told NBC 10 Philadelphia.
The store still opened Tuesday, with a banner covering the smashed glass on the door, according to Fox 29. Gina Picciano, a general manager at a restaurant across the street, said it was a frightening incident.
“I walked out here with my bartender and we looked, and it’s scary that it’s happening right across the way from us,” Picciano told Fox 29.
The same store was previously robbed in May 2024. Thieves stole more than $10,000 worth of merchandise during that incident, NBC 10 Philadelphia reports.
The Independent has contacted the Lower Merion Police Department and Lululemon for comment.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro has $30 million for his reelection bid, a new state record
Pennsylvania
3 winning scratch-off lotto tickets totaling $7.5M sold in Pennsylvania
RADNOR TWP., Pa. (WPVI) — Three winning scratch-off tickets totaling $7.5 million were sold in Pennsylvania, lottery officials announced on Monday.
One winning “MONOPOLY Own It All” ticket worth $5 million was sold in Delaware County at the GIANT on the 500 block of East Lancaster Avenue. The grocery store will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
“MONOPOLY Own It All” is a $50 game that offers top prizes of $5 million.
In Erie County, a $1.5 million-winning “Cash Spectacular” scratch-off was purchased at a Sheetz on Perry Highway. “Cash Spectacular” is a $30 game that offers top prizes of $1.5 million.
And in Luzerne County, a $1 million-winning “Millionaire Loading” scratch-off was sold at Schiel’s Family Market in Wilkes-Barre. “Millionaire Loading” is a $20 game that offers top prizes of $1 million.
Scratch-off prizes expire one year from the game’s end-sale date posted at palottery.com.
Winners should immediately sign the back of their ticket and call the Pennsylvania Lottery at 1-800-692-7481.
Copyright © 2026 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
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