Rap Sheet

One can only wonder what is going through the two minds of the two women in the center of Friday’s assault case that took a tragic turn when the victim, seven weeks pregnant, suffered a miscarriage.

Popular Philadelphia chef, Susanna Foo, 63, owner of the upscale Chinese restaurant that operates under her name, is accused of throwing blows when a parking authority attendant, Juanita Lewis, starting writing a ticket to a delivery truck in a no-parking zone outside Foo's downtown restaurant.

Foo is accused of slapping Lewis in the face and stomach with an open hand, police say.
Those actions sent Foo to a holding cell at the Police Administration Building at Eighth and Race Streets where she spent the night before she was released Saturday morning on her own recognizance. She is charged with aggravated and simple assault and reckless endangerment.

Meanwhile, the family for Lewis announced that Lewis, after the confrontation with Foo, miscarried and is dealing with the emotional trauma that followed. Doctors could not say that the confrontation led to the miscarriage. And, it’s worth noting that miscarriages for women pregnant less than 12 weeks are common.

Regardless, this is one of those sad cases that will crawl through the criminal justice system with no happy ending. No doubt that both women would give anything to turn back time.
And no matter what the medical experts say, there will always be that lingering, nagging question for both women about the confrontation and miscarriage that followed.

Is any ticket worth that? Foo is facing some pretty serious charges now. Is that enough justice for the expectant mom who came under attack just for doing her job?

You gotta love our Sept. 23 story about Officers Amy Spiller and Marlana Caprara who collared a man who is accused of stabbing his 56-year-old live-in girlfriend to death. The two veteran South Task Force officers were cruising their beat on a Friday night in Point Breeze when they saw what they initially thought was a man helping a drunken woman into the house. They could have easily and justifiably dismissed it and kept riding. But they followed their instincts, and as any cop worth his or her weight will tell you, instinct is more than 50 percent of the job.

When they knocked on the door in the 900 block of S. 16th Street, James Lake, 50, covered in blood, answered, according to police. His girlfriend, Mary, lay lifeless on the floor nearby. Lake was immediately arrested and later charged with murder.

Not only were they praised by their supervisor, but in an unprecedented turn of events, Homicide Sgt. Bob Wilkins, (who has never been generous with compliments), praised the two "girls in blue" on a job well done.

You go, girls!

Barb (left) and Steph (right) outside the Police Administration
Building a.k.a. "The Round House." Notice the cool statue in
the background. Photo by Clem Murray / Inquirer.

My colleague Barb and I have started a blog called “Rap Sheet” and we’re pretty excited about it. In law enforcement, the term “rap sheet” is slang for a police arrest record. The term "rap” is also a colloquialism for conversation, and that's exactly what we want to do here. The web serves as our “sheet”.

Barb and I, who comprise the first all-female police reporting duo for the Inquirer, have been covering crime for years and we both thought it’d be interesting to give our readers a glimpse of our day to day gig covering crime news mixed with anecdotes from the interesting culture of Philly’s Finest.

So, on behalf of the Round House bureau, Welcome to Rap Sheet!

...And stay outta trouble...

The nation now knows Col. Jeffrey B. Miller as the charismatic, grace-under-pressure leader who has kept the entire country briefed on the tragedy in Lancaster County. If it were not for his dogged will to "get it right" as he displayed to media professionals this week, it is likely that the Colonel never would have been a Pennsylvania State Trooper, let alone the agency's commissioner. Here's why:

Miller took the State Police Exam four times before being accepted into the academy. In an interview in Harrisburg last year, he said he scored well on the exams, but there were so many good candidates vying for spots in the academy, that it was extremely difficult to get in. Then in 1984, he took the Baltimore Civil Service exam and did well. So, well, in fact, they offered him a job immediately. He accepted. Days later, the PA State Police called to notify him that he had been accepted into the academy 56th Cadet Class. After a whopping two-minute deliberation, the Harrisburg native opted to stay home.

We're glad you did, Colonel!

What’s going on with murder in the City of Brotherly Love?

Four people killed Monday. A baby severely beaten Sunday, died Tuesday. Another five murder victims Tuesday and Wednesday. Two were high school students.

Where's the outrage?

Tuesday afternoon, Joyce White, a grandmother of three from New York took a bullet to the chest while she was trying to visit her son and grandchildren in South Philadelphia. Her family is hurting -- a son here, a sister in North Carolina, an aunt in Georgia.

The women spoke so eloquently about their loss of a woman who just loved life. How could this happen, they wanted to know.

The answer is disturbingly simple. That's what happens here in Philadelphia.

And, when the murders start coming at such as rapid pace as they have this week, innocent people die. Babies and grandmothers, like Ms. White. It's a sad story that repeats itself over and over.

As of sunrise, 306 murder victims have passed through the morgue this year compared to 288 during this time last year, up 6 percent. If October keeps going like this, it will look like the extremely deadly July that just passed with 49 murders and put the city on pace to be one of the worst years in the past decade.

Yesterday, I called Chef Susanna Foo and Officer Juanita Lewis newcomers to the criminal justice system and urged the women to resolve the issues and get on with their lives. I see, however, that Lewis knows her way around a courtroom. How does that change things? Not a bit. I repeat: The sooner you resolve it, the sooner you can enjoy life again.

Veteran homicide detective Eddie Rocks goes after the worst of the worst.

As a member of Philly's Fugitive Task Force, he chases those wanted for murder and who are on the lam.

Rocks and the squad were on the job in recent weeks when Scranton cops came looking for a suspect and his girlfriend accused of killing a pregnant woman. The duo was holed up in a boarding house in North Philly when cops surrounded the place.

"As we’re trying to get into the house, he comes out, gets in a car and takes off,” Rocks said.

Cops blocked the perp, but he rammed the getaway car through cop cars before it turned into a foot pursuit.

Not so fast.

Back up arrived by the way of Michael Rocks, Eddie’s son and prodigy, who tackled the bad guy.

What ever happened to Daddio?

Eddie Rocks hit the boarding house where he cuffed the girlfriend when his son called on his cell phone and asked, “Yo, Dad, you working today?”

“As I’m putting the cuffs on her, he says, ‘I’m putting the cuffs on him.’ “

Remember former Philly Homicide Lt. Michael Chitwood, Jr.? Sure you do. How could you forget the flamboyant, media-friendly and controversial cop who took pride in publicly bringing down bad guys? Still don't remember? Well, check out one of my favorite stories on Chitwood by Philadelphia Weekly's Steve Volk. Well, the former Philly lawman-turned-Shawnee Police Chief, was hired as Daytona Beach Police Department’s chief in May. Read here to see how they welcomed him to town.

It didn't surprise me to hear that before Walt Herring died this month, he had a massive stroke in 2004. Everything Walt did, he did in a massive way. The Philly native was a passionate newsman who thrived on breaking police stories and political corruption. When I worked for him at The North Jersey Herald & News, we had it all: national crime stories, dirty cops, drugs, murders, rapes. Every day was another tragic tapestry in North Jersey.

Walt was a relentless and eccentric editor. I was a rookie reporter. He worked his staff hard and Walt's word was the final word lest be prepared for his obscenity-laced tirade to follow.

He hated messy desks. Once he set a reporter's desk on fire. Another time he came down with a broad sweep before tipping the desk. It was just another day in the newsroom.

I learned a lot from Walt. If he could see me now sitting at my desk at the Round House, he'd be pissed and set my mess on fire. It certainly wouldn't be the first time I made that crusty, old newsman madder than a wild bull in the china shop. But we also shared some fond times taking in journalism awards for stories he inspired and taught me to write with impact.

Had Walt not been my mentor in the day, I'm not sure I would have landed my dream job at The Inquirer. It's been more than 15 years since I last spoke to Walt and I have not missed him one bit. He was crazy. But, he was an inspiration. For that he deserves a respectable farewell.

So long you impulsive, cranky, obsessed-driven lunatic of an editor. You have left us your legend and for the legions of us who survived your newsroom, we will carry your torch to uncover all that is bad, right what is wrong, shame the corrupt, help the helpless and hold acountable all those who hold the power.

(Photo courtesy of PARADE magazine)

The serious gentleman pictured above is 30-year-old Police Officer Robert Wuller. You may not know him, but you might remember his work. Here's an excerpt from Barb's story in April: Screams from a Northeast Philadelphia apartment early yesterday forced a police officer to kick in the front door and confront several armed robbers, authorities said. Within minutes, two of the assailants were dead and four people were rescued.

Wuller's name was never mentioned in our story, but consequently, he is being honored for the above act next week by the International Association of Chiefs of Police as the 2006 Police Officer of the Year. Considering the number of folks entered internationally for this award, Commissioner Johnson said yesterday that it was quite an honor not just for the department, but for the City of Philadelphia.

The Commissioner also said he'd offer Wuller the opportunity to chose his next assignment in the department. Where ever you decide to go Officer Wuller, I hope its not anywhere based in the Round House. Parking spaces here are running thin and I have a feeling that mine would be one of the first to go.

It's the Delaware Valley version of Willie Sutton, the infamous bank robber who told authorities that he robs banks "because that's where the money is."

In Upper Darby, Joseph Saunders, known as the Smiling Bandit in Philadelphia, told authorities he crossed county lines because, "I ran out of banks to rob in Philadelphia."

Note to Smiley: In Philadelphia, you didn't get caught even though cops had a clear picture of you mugging on surveillance cameras. When you crossed over the Upper Darby border, you were messing with the infamous Michael Chitwood Sr. and his territory. You learned the hard way.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys have yet another court batttle since the arrest of Collen Brubaker. The Philadelphia police chemist handled hundreds of narcotics cases, allegedly pilfering pain killers for personal use in some cases instead of securing the evidence. Big problem for prosecutors if it's proven she stole evidence in those cases. But what about all the other cases? Will scores of cocaine dealers walk by default? Defense attorneys are working on it.

Okay, here are the numbers for today:

As of 11:59 p.m. yesterday, there were 315 murders in the City of Brother Love. This time last year, there were 297. That's a 6 percent increase during the same time period last year. Take a look at this handy little map compiled by my wonderful colleagues Alletta Emeno, John Duchneskie and artist Alan Baseden.

To all of the Inquirer's loyal readers who emailed me this morning about today's story: I don't know why the man attempting to rob another man in Kensington yesterday afternoon was shot during the commission of his alleged crime. That's still under investigation by authorities. One reader, Paul, thinks he may have the answer, though:
"Maybe a good Samaritan drove by and saw that the victim needed help."

One of the toughest parts of police reporting is covering stories where children are hurt, killed and abused. They are among the most vulnerable and defenseless. They have no voice.

I remember in the early 1990s coming across an accident scene in rural Florida, staring at the horrific carnage of two boys who had been hit by a car while riding a dirt bike. No helmets. The kid driving turned into the car and both kids were thrown from the bike.

I pulled up behind the first ambulance, before the helicopter arrived. One boy seemed in shock; the other screamed in pain for his mother as his femur pierced through skin. The moms arrived, screaming and fighting to get through bystanders and police. I'll never forget the unbearable pain of the mothers, their raw emotion and the pit in my stomach. Those boys, I knew, would die.

That pit always returns when I write about children who die whether it is by accident or abuse. WIth abuse, there's also a wave of outrage ... how could you hurt a child?

When little Taijim went to the hospital in Philadelphia last week for severe head injuries, doctors found evidence of previous abuse. His father is charged with homicide.

I wrote the story with that familiar pit in my stomach. Why couldn't anyone protect Taijim? How could anyone hurt that baby?

What were they thinking when an empty keg was tossed into a fire at a party in Danbury, Conn. where the keg exploded and killed a young man?

They weren't thinking.

Talk about a dumb, impulsive thing to do. For future reference, keep the keg - whether empty or full - away from fire.

Only in Philadelphia, maybe Detroit, would a dad pack heat going to a pee-wee football game.

It's terribly frustrating when your kid doesn't get his fair share of field time, isn't it?

What if the coach completely benches the kid, or if your pee wee is losing, or mom packed Twinkies instead of Tastykake?

Hide the AK-47!

I had always thought that if someone was hurt on your property, then you are responsible. The Pier 34 case as written by my colleague Julie Shaw is proving that it may not be that simple.

Eli Karetny and Michael Asbell are on trial in connection with the collapse of the pier and the Heat nightclub into the Delaware River, in which the three women drowned in May 2000.

Shaw's story reads, "In the last week, when family members of Karetny and Asbell have also been in court, the atmosphere has been more tense and emotional. The victims' and defendants' family members sit on opposite sides and have expressed disbelief or impatience with testimony from various witnesses and comments from the lawyers."

Basically, Karetny and Asbell are contending that they are not responsible for the deaths. The victims' families, of course, say they are. Continue to read Shaw's stories in the Inquirer to keep up with the latest on this very interesting trial. Feel free to share your thoughts.