Cops: Woman stole from cop's wife at restaurant

Cops: Woman stole from cop's wife at eatery
* Broad Street near Spruce

Wanda Singleton's name, and all 31 of her aliases, are probably at the top of Santa's naughty list this year.

Singleton, 46, was caught with her hand in a cop's wife's purse when she tried stealing from the woman as a group of Upper Darby police officers and their spouses waited for a table for a Christmas dinner Sunday night in Center City, said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood.

Chitwood said that he had taken seven officers from his bike-patrol unit and their guests out to a Christmas dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House, but they had a bit of a wait before being seated because the place was "mobbed."

As the group was waiting, Upper Darby Sgt. Jim Reif, commanding officer of the bike unit, spotted Singleton reaching into an officer's wife's purse and taking her wallet, Chitwood said.

"I'm at the bar and I hear, 'You're under arrest!' and it's one of my guys," Chitwood said. "He had a woman by the hand."

Singleton has 31 aliases, nine dates of birth and more than 50 arrests, Chitwood said.

"So, Merry Christmas from the Upper Darby Police Department to . . . whatever her name is," Chitwood said.

Marshalls robbery caught on camera
* Swanson Street near McKean

Two masked armed robbers burst into a Marshalls store in South Philadelphia demanding money, and left with between $35,000 and $40,000 in cash yesterday morning, police said (Photo on Page 20).

Hoping that help from the public might lead to an arrest, police posted surveillance footage from the incident online last night.

Police gave this account:

About 4:55 a.m., the men accosted an employee who was taking out the trash outside the store.

The robbers forced him and other employees into the store and demanded cash from the safe.

The men took the money, locked the employees in the break room and fled.

Police described the two masked robbers as light-skinned black men between 6 feet and 6 feet 2, both with medium builds and wearing blue hooded sweatshirts, blue jeans and black gloves.

Tipsters are asked to call 215-686-TIPS (-8477).

Man, 20, is shot in E. Germantown
* Wister Street near Ardleigh

A 20-year-old man was shot in East Germantown yesterday after he was approached by three men about 6:45 p.m., police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

The man was wounded in his back, buttocks and left elbow, said Officer Tanya Little, a police spokeswoman.

A house on the block was also hit twice by stray bullets, Small said.

Police rushed the man to Albert Einstein Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition as of 7:30 p.m., Small said.

Police were unsure of the shooters' motive, and Small said there were no witnesses.

Cops were searching for a silver sedan with tinted windows that was seen heading north on Wister Street shortly after the shooting.

- Phillip Lucas and Stephanie Farr