Reward offered as search for bike bandit continues

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - July 10, 2012 (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police say surveillance video released last month hasn't helped them identify the suspected Queen Village mugger.

RELATED: Watch the surveillance video

It's one of the reasons women in the South Philadelphia community have been looking over their shoulders, on the lookout for the man police say rode up behind two women on his bicycle and choked them before stealing their purses.

One attack happened June 17th on the 600 block of Catharine Street while the other happened on the 18th on the 400 block of Christian Street. Both between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.

"Nothing has really panned out that's why we use a reward to kind of get the money out there to drum up some information," Lt. Ray Evers of the Philadelphia Police Department said.

Tonight, that reward for an arrest and conviction is $3,500 offered by several Queen Village community organizations.

"This is not good for the retail, the commercial, or the neighborhood so we felt strongly as the business improvement district that we thank them for pulling it together and all the groups coming together to get this guy off the street," Mike Harris of the South Street Headhouse District said.

There have been no new attacks but police, these community groups, and residents say aggressive steps have to be taken before this choking bicycle bandit strikes again.

Police say anonymous tips can be made to 215-546-TIPS.

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assault, philadelphia, south philadelphia, robbery, local/state, kenneth moton

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