On January 18, 2026, at approximately 6:39 a.m., a robbery occurred at the intersection of Benner Street and Castor Avenue while a 66-year-old female victim was waiting for a Route 59 SEPTA bus. At least two offenders exited a red Jeep SUV, and one offender, described as a masked Black female in her twenties, grabbed the victim’s bookbag. A struggle ensued, during which the victim was knocked to the ground and dragged. The offender then produced a taser and used it on the victim’s arms and hands in an attempt to force her to release the bag. The offender ultimately succeeded, and the suspects fled the scene in the red Jeep SUV.
The stolen bookbag contained personal identifiers and approximately $500 in U.S. currency. After the offenders fled, the bus arrived, and the driver assisted the victim to her feet. The incident was later reported to the police.
Through further investigation and help from the public, investigators arrested 35-year-old Janesha Pickett of the 6500 block of Large Street and charged her with Aggravated Assault, Simple Assault, Robbery, and related offenses.