7 juveniles in custody for attacking woman in Center City, police say

Seven juveniles are in custody for allegedly beating a 33-year-old woman in Center City last month, Philadelphia police said Friday.

As of Friday afternoon, all but one of the kids involved have been arrested, said Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore.

All are between the ages of 11 and 14, Vanore said.

Six of the kids turned themselves in over the course of Thursday night and Friday morning, he said, while one 14-year-old girl was arrested at her Northwest Philadelphia home.

They will be charged with criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault, robbery, and related crimes, according to Vanore. Their names will not be released because they are juveniles.

Police are still working to identify the eighth suspect, but have “pretty good direction on who he is,” Vanore said.

The assault occurred Feb. 23 just after 7:10 p.m. at 15th and Chestnut Streets, police said, when several people in the group knocked the woman to the ground and then punched and stomped her until she lost consciousness. The woman was transported to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and was treated for multiple injuries.

Vanore said the juveniles stole the woman’s air pods during the attack.

“Brutal acts of violence such as this will not be tolerated in our community!” Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a statement on social media Thursday evening.

“Police [and] the public working together is exactly how we will overcome crime in our city,” she said. “Let’s continue to work together to hold those who terrorize our neighborhoods accountable.”

The District Attorney’s Office has approved charges for the seven identified juveniles, police said.

The Central Detectives Division was seeking the public’s help in identifying the eighth suspect. Anyone with information can call 215-686-3093 or 215-686-TIPS.

Ellie Rushing and Jesse Bunch contributed to this report.