A man and a woman are behind bars and facing charges for their involvement in a series of armed robberies and a non-fatal shooting that happened across Philadelphia between August and September.
District Attorney Larry Krasner announced the arrests in a news conference on Monday with the gun violence task force.
Krasner said the couple is tied to at least five robberies across the city.
36-year-old Christina Kolenda and 32-year-old Maurice Allen started their crime spree on August 11th on the 1900 block of Bainbridge Street in Center City when they robbed a pedestrian walking down the street, Krasner said.
The couple struck again ten days later at C&C Creamery on the 5400 block of Ridge Avenue in Roxborough.
One week later, police say Kolenda and Allen held up a Dunkin Donuts on the 5000 block of Rising Sun Avenue in North Philadelphia.
According to the DA, On September 23, the couple were involved in two nail salon robberies.
The first was at Happy Family Nail Salon in West Poplar.
Police say no one was injured as a result of that robbery.
The second robbery happened just a few hours later at Nails in the City in Fishtown.
During that incident, officials say thousands of dollars were stolen, and one female employee was shot and injured when she ran after them.
According to the DA, Kolenda and Allen were dressed head-to-toe in traditional Muslim garments during most of the robberies.
Krasner said investigators used surveillance video and cell phone records to arrest the couple.
After the couples’ arrests, investigators determined that Kolenda and Allen were in the vicinity of the scenes when the robberies happened.
They also found that Kolenda was the getaway driver.
Kolenda and Allen will each be charged with robbery, conspiracy, and aggravated assault, among other charges.