South Philly Review

What police believe began as a jewelry heist went terribly wrong when one of the alleged robbers reportedly sliced the store owner’s neck and left his own son behind as he fled with more than a dozen engagement rings Saturday afternoon.

John Benson, 47, of the Northeast, and Sheakia Stubbs, 31, of West Philly, have been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, robbery, criminal conspiracy, endangering the welfare of a child and related offenses in the 3 p.m. incident at Platinum & Ice Jewelry, 621 South St.

The two were looking at women’s rings with their 4-year-old in tow. Benson asked to see a piece of jewelry and began negotiating for a lower price with the 34-year-old owner and a male employee, but he reportedly became irate when he was not successful, Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detective Division said. Both he and Stubbs screamed and cursed at the two and Stubbs demanded the employee buzz open the locked door so she could leave, Tolliver said. She then held the door open while Benson, who is believed to have dropped the ring he was holding behind the counter, allegedly swiped about 15 engagement rings with an estimated total value of $50,000 from an open display case when the employee stooped to pick up the dropped item.

The two and their child allegedly fled west on South with the shopkeeper and employee in pursuit. When they caught up to them, Benson allegedly instructed Stubbs to, “Go get the gun from the car. I’m going to shoot this motherf***er right here,” Tolliver said.

As Stubbs fled on foot, the chase continued with Benson and the child heading north on Seventh Street and west on Rodman Street, which is where Benson allegedly pulled out the knife and slashed the left side of the owner’s neck, Tolliver said. Benson then is believed to have left the child behind as he took off on foot, going south on Eighth Street, then west on South.

The owner walked to the Philadelphia Police Department South Street Mini Station, 905 South, with the boy and was transported to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where he received 10 stitches.

The child is in the custody of the Philadelphia Department of Human Services, Tolliver said.

Benson and Stubbs were arrested at about midnight Monday at Benson’s Northeast home. The jewelry has not yet been recovered.

Benson has previously served time for possession, robbery and aggravated assault, among others, while Stubbs served time for an aggravated assault in 2007, according to court records.

Arrest in Sound of Philadelphia fire

A Whitman man turned himself in to police Feb. 24 after a warrant was issued for his arrest in connection to a fire three days earlier at Philadelphia International Records, 309 S. Broad St.

Christopher Cimini, 27, of the 2700 block of South Fairhill Street, allegedly kicked in the glass front door of the building at about 6 a.m. Feb. 21, Officer Christine O’Brien of the Police Public Affairs Unit said. Believed to be intoxicated, he is accused of setting the building on fire and was rescued by the fire department when seen calling for help from a third-floor window.

Cimini was transported to Jefferson Hospital for smoke inhalation and small lacerations and released, O’Brien said. He turned himself in to East Detective Division, where he was charged with arson, causing a catastrophe, burglary, criminal trespassing and related offenses.

Kenny Gamble, a producer along with Leon Huff of the label that was responsible for more than 100 gold and platinum records and more than 70 No. 1 hits, wants to know why Cimini set the building ablaze, severely damaging it and destroying about 40 percent of the memorabilia inside.

“I’m hoping they will interrogate this young man and find out,” Gamble said in a statement Tuesday.

Cimini’s preliminary hearing was rescheduled from Tuesday to 8 a.m. March 23, according to court documents.