Fatal bullets to chest
Police responding to a report of a shooting last Thursday found a 21-year-old mortally wounded on the 400 block of Daly Street.
A medic pronounced Jhamal Shockley from Somerdale, N.J., dead at the scene at 8:55 p.m., after being discovered less than 10 minutes before with multiple gunshot wounds to his chest, Officer Beth Skala of the Police Public Affairs Unit said.
The search continues for a motive and suspect, as well as what brought the Jersey man to South Philly, Skala said.
To report information, call the Homicide Division at 215–686–3013.
Found guilty in parents’ slaying
At the close of Matthew Zimmerman’s two-week non-jury trial Monday, Judge Shelley Robins New handed down the 34-year-old’s verdict.
Convicted in the Feb. 4, 1997, killing of his parents, 54-year-old Richard and 45-year-old Patricia Zimmerman, Matthew received two life sentences for dual counts of first-degree murder, Assistant District Attorney Richard Sax said.
In addition to the murder rap, Zimmerman was found guilty of possession of an instrument of crime and two counts of solicitation to commit murder for asking a friend to do the job for him, the prosecutor said. Sentencing is June 5.
At the time of his arrest on Sept. 19, 2003, the defendant was serving a seven-year term for federal drug trafficking and conspiracy, the attorney said.
“It was coldblooded what he did. It took awhile to put this case together, but once it did come together, the evidence was overwhelming against Matthew Zimmerman,” Sax told the Review.
Defense attorney Bernard Siegel maintained his client’s innocence.
“It was not overwhelming evidence by any stretch of the imagination. We’re disappointed, the family is disappointed. We’ll be appealing,” Siegel told the Review.
Reward offered for bank robber
The Delaware Valley Bank Security Officers Group is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a serial bank robber whose most recent heist was in South Philly March 7.
The offender targeted Prudential Savings Bank, 1834 Oregon Ave., at about 11:39 a.m., FBI spokesperson Jerri Williams said.
After presenting a teller with a demand note indicating he had a gun and bomb, the male fled the premises on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.
While fleeing east on Oregon and south through an alley adjacent to the bank parking lot, a dye pack exploded, causing the perpetrator to discard the money bag.
Police recovered all of the cash.
The man is suspected of robbing eight other Philadelphia banks in the Northeast and North Philly from November 2005 to September 2006 during which he also indicated he had a gun and bomb.
The male is described as white, in his late 40s to early 50s, about 6-foot; with a medium build and cleanshaven. For the Oregon heist, he was wearing a dark, hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up, a black jacket and blue jeans.
To report information, call the FBI at 215–481–4000.
Still missing 13 years later
It was 13 years ago Tuesday when Nina Garcia’s son Anthony disappeared. And time has not eased the pain; in fact, it’s made it worse, she said.
“There is something missing inside of my life. A key component that would make me happy. I have lots of other people [like grandchildren, relatives] but you can’t replace a certain person,” Nina told the Review.
Garcia, 21 at the time of his disappearance, vanished after he dropped a friend off at Ninth and Porter streets at about 3:30 p.m. March 20, 1994. Beforehand, the missing man had been playing basketball with friends at the D. Newlin Fell Elementary schoolyard, police said.
Five days later, investigators recovered Garcia’s 1987 Nissan 300ZX on the 1400 block of West Jefferson Street.
Nina said she believes her son met with foul play. “Definitely. But I’m a mother — I can’t give up hope. That wasn’t in his make-up, not to contact us in any way,” Nina said, adding her son was kind, likeable, funny and considerate.
Anyone with information is asked to call the police department’s Longterm Missing Person Unit’s at 215–685–3257/3258 or contact Nina Garcia at P.O. Box 37122, Philadelphia, Pa. 19148.
