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Police Investigate Masked Man Seen Roaming South Philadelphia Roofs

Residents say a broken alley gate let the intruder reach connected row-home roofs, exposing a gap between common practice and city rules.

Overview

  • The trail camera video, recorded around 2 a.m. Saturday, shows a masked person walking across a South Philadelphia roof deck.
  • Neighbor Bill Fitch says he watched the man in a ski mask with a flashlight checking windows, then called 911, but officers arrived after the man left.
  • Philadelphia police are investigating the case as possible criminal trespass and say someone can face charges for being on a private roof without permission.
  • Neighbors believe the intruder reached the connected roofs through a broken alley gate by an abandoned house, a barrier that residents install even though city rules forbid gating alleys.
  • People on the block report feeling unsafe and have added stopgaps like locking and blocking doors and posting a 'No Trespassers' sign, while urging the city to fix the gate.