Robber and passerby shot by guard at local Thriftway

A Brooks armored car guard shot and wounded a robber and a passerby Monday morning outside of the Thriftway supermarket at 43rd and Walnut streets. The guard, Steven Kettrles, was held up with a stun gun by the suspect, Rasheed Oden, when the truck was attempting to make a delivery to the store. Kettrles then shot the man, wounding Oden and Steven Johnson, a local resident. Johnson, driving past the store, was caught in the crossfire. A bullet went through his windshield, which then lodged in his chest near his armpit. Oden and Johnson were rushed to nearby hospitals, while another suspect escaped. Thriftway mananger Jeff Holman said that store officials have not decided whether increased security will be implemented at the local store. "No decision has been made about security," Holman said. A fire erupted in the Mellon Bank building at 36th and Walnut Streets Tuesday morning, but fire fighters had the blaze under control within an hour, according to witnesses. A bank security guard was rushed to a local hospital and treated for smoke inhalation, after trying to alert other building occupants to the blaze, according to bank employee James Penn. "A guy got hurt," he said. "He inhaled a lot of smoke trying to rescue some people upstairs." The rubbish fire, which occured in the building's basement, forced fire officials to close the building for the rest of the day, as investigators tried to determine its cause. "It shorted everything out," Penn said of the fire. "We're doing work on the power as a precautionary measure," added Ed Datz, a building supervisor who works for University City Associates, the company which manages the building. Also this week, according to University Police, money was stolen from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia parking garage last Tuesday night. A man held the cashier at gunpoint, according to University Police, and less than $150 was taken from the booth. "Not much was taken," said Scott Stolz, the manager of the parking garage. "It was very mild." In an unrelated incident, a University student was struck by a car at 38th and Spruce streets Sunday night. The student suffered minor injuries, but did not press charges, University Police Lieutenant Susan Holmes said. Several people walking late at night were victims of hold-up robberies this week, University Police said. $18 and a gold chain were stolen at knife point from a person walking on the 200 block of South 42nd street. No injuries were reported. In an unrelated incident, a gold necklace was stolen, by an unarmed man at the Sheraton Hotel at 36th and Chestnut streets, Holmes said. Three men have been arrested on charges, but no arrests have been made. Also on Thursday night, a purse, containing $15 and keys was taken from the 3900 block of Pine street. In an unrelated incident, also on the 3900 block of Pine street on Thursday night, a video cassette recorder was stolen from a residence.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.