greeny
11-18-2006, 09:02 PM
Lehigh Valley Mall crime part of national outbreak over new gaming system.
By Dalondo Moultrie Of The Morning Call
Minutes after buying a coveted PlayStation 3 on Friday morning, a 17-year-old boy found himself on the business end of a black handgun in a Lehigh Valley Mall parking lot.
In seconds, the armed man had taken the boy's video game system and fled in a waiting car, Whitehall police said.
That kind of violence played out Friday across the country as the PS3 went on sale for as much as $600, with strong demand, but in short supply.
In Putnam, Conn., two armed thugs tried to rob a line of people waiting for the system to go on sale and shot one man who refused to give up his money, authorities said.
In Manchester, Conn., 30 miles away, another shopper was beaten and robbed of his new PS3 just minutes after he bought it, police said.
In the Lehigh Valley Mall incident, Whitehall police said a man walked up to a car, tapped on a rear window with a black handgun and demanded the game console from the boy, who was sitting in the back seat.
The robber opened the car door, put the gun to the boy's neck and took the PS3 before fleeing in a waiting car, Whitehall Police Chief Ted Kohuth said. The boy was not injured.
Police believe the robber was in the mall before the holdup and released a surveillance photo from the video game store, EB Games, on the mall's lower level. The photo showed a man in a gray hoodie and black pants.
Police described the man as being in his late 20s, about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing between 130 to 140 pounds and wearing a gray hooded shirt and black pants. They said they were also looking for a 2000 or 2001 Acura, which may have been the getaway car. Anyone with information can call 610-437-3042.
Besides the robbery at the mall, Whitehall police also cited a man for harassment for allegedly disturbing people waiting in line overnight at Best Buy . Stephen Gonzalez, 25, of 733 N. Lumber St., Allentown, approached several people in line and offered them $800 for their places in line, causing a disturbance, Kohuth said.
''We've had no problems, with the two exceptions,'' Kohuth said. ''Our patrols have been aware of the need to monitor the individuals who have been camped out or waiting in line. Our patrols have done that throughout the township.''
Sony's newest attempt at revolutionizing the gaming world was released to the public early Friday. Some stores across the country held special midnight openings to sell the 400,000 PS3s Sony made available in the United States — a number much lower than the number of expected buyers.
A spate of violence in several states accompanied shoppers' frenzy to own the new unit — which can cost as much as $600 and was selling for up to $2,000 on eBay.
In Sullivan, Ind., a man was in critical condition after emergency surgery for a stab wound after he and a friend tried to rob two men of consoles they waited 36 hours in line to buy, police said.
In Palmdale, Calif., authorities shut down a Wal-Mart after some shoppers got rowdy late Wednesday. In West Bend, Wis., a 19-year-old man was injured when he ran into a pole racing with 50 others for one of 10 spots outside a Wal-Mart.
In Lexington, Ky., someone fired BB pellets from a passing vehicle at people waiting outside a Best Buy store, according to WKYT, whose own reporter said she was among four people grazed while she interviewed buyers in line.
A Best Buy in Boston, aware it had only 140 of the consoles, got smart about the big sale: Its employees gave out tickets to the first 140 people in line so everyone could go home until the store opened.
By Dalondo Moultrie Of The Morning Call
Minutes after buying a coveted PlayStation 3 on Friday morning, a 17-year-old boy found himself on the business end of a black handgun in a Lehigh Valley Mall parking lot.
In seconds, the armed man had taken the boy's video game system and fled in a waiting car, Whitehall police said.
That kind of violence played out Friday across the country as the PS3 went on sale for as much as $600, with strong demand, but in short supply.
In Putnam, Conn., two armed thugs tried to rob a line of people waiting for the system to go on sale and shot one man who refused to give up his money, authorities said.
In Manchester, Conn., 30 miles away, another shopper was beaten and robbed of his new PS3 just minutes after he bought it, police said.
In the Lehigh Valley Mall incident, Whitehall police said a man walked up to a car, tapped on a rear window with a black handgun and demanded the game console from the boy, who was sitting in the back seat.
The robber opened the car door, put the gun to the boy's neck and took the PS3 before fleeing in a waiting car, Whitehall Police Chief Ted Kohuth said. The boy was not injured.
Police believe the robber was in the mall before the holdup and released a surveillance photo from the video game store, EB Games, on the mall's lower level. The photo showed a man in a gray hoodie and black pants.
Police described the man as being in his late 20s, about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing between 130 to 140 pounds and wearing a gray hooded shirt and black pants. They said they were also looking for a 2000 or 2001 Acura, which may have been the getaway car. Anyone with information can call 610-437-3042.
Besides the robbery at the mall, Whitehall police also cited a man for harassment for allegedly disturbing people waiting in line overnight at Best Buy . Stephen Gonzalez, 25, of 733 N. Lumber St., Allentown, approached several people in line and offered them $800 for their places in line, causing a disturbance, Kohuth said.
''We've had no problems, with the two exceptions,'' Kohuth said. ''Our patrols have been aware of the need to monitor the individuals who have been camped out or waiting in line. Our patrols have done that throughout the township.''
Sony's newest attempt at revolutionizing the gaming world was released to the public early Friday. Some stores across the country held special midnight openings to sell the 400,000 PS3s Sony made available in the United States — a number much lower than the number of expected buyers.
A spate of violence in several states accompanied shoppers' frenzy to own the new unit — which can cost as much as $600 and was selling for up to $2,000 on eBay.
In Sullivan, Ind., a man was in critical condition after emergency surgery for a stab wound after he and a friend tried to rob two men of consoles they waited 36 hours in line to buy, police said.
In Palmdale, Calif., authorities shut down a Wal-Mart after some shoppers got rowdy late Wednesday. In West Bend, Wis., a 19-year-old man was injured when he ran into a pole racing with 50 others for one of 10 spots outside a Wal-Mart.
In Lexington, Ky., someone fired BB pellets from a passing vehicle at people waiting outside a Best Buy store, according to WKYT, whose own reporter said she was among four people grazed while she interviewed buyers in line.
A Best Buy in Boston, aware it had only 140 of the consoles, got smart about the big sale: Its employees gave out tickets to the first 140 people in line so everyone could go home until the store opened.