A major armored truck robbery in Cheltenham Township is under investigation, as authorities work to determine whether it may be connected to a string of similar crimes in the Philadelphia region this summer.
According to police, two armed suspects robbed an armored truck of between $700,000 and $800,000 late Tuesday morning around 10:30 a.m., near the H Mart on West Cheltenham Avenue and Old York Road in Elkins Park.
During the robbery, the suspects ordered a female guard to surrender her firearm before taking off with the cash.
“They ordered her to relinquish her firearm and proceeded to take $700 to $800,000,” said Lt. Andrew Snyder of the Cheltenham Police Department.
The suspects fled the scene in a black Acura TLX with tinted windows. The vehicle, which had been reported stolen in August, was later located abandoned in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. It has since been taken into custody by the FBI, which is processing it for evidence.
Tuesday’s heist is the first armored truck robbery in Cheltenham Township, but the fifth such incident in the Philadelphia area this summer, raising concerns about a possible coordinated effort or pattern.
The earlier robberies began on June 21, when two armed men held up a Brinks truck outside a Home Depot in Port Richmond, stealing money and a firearm. Just five days later, on June 26, another armored truck was robbed outside an Aldi in Lawncrest, with suspects making off with around $1,000. On July 2, three men attempted to rob a Brinks truck outside a Dollar General in the Holmesburg Shopping Center, but failed to breach the truck’s security locking system. Then, on July 15, shots were fired during an attempted robbery of another Brinks truck on Castor Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia, though it’s unclear if any money was taken in that incident.
Despite the similarities in the robberies, Philadelphia police have not yet established direct connections between them.
"This is the first in Cheltenham," Lt. Snyder said of Tuesday’s robbery. "We are investigating if it is related to those in Philadelphia."
Authorities are now working to determine whether the suspects involved in the latest robbery could also be linked to the previous four.
"The public is our best eyes for situations like this," he said. "Be the best witness possible, try not to intervene. If you see something suspicious, call the police, we’ll come check it out."
In a statement released Tuesday, Brinks said, "In general, and in the interest of the safety of our employees and others who may be affected on matters concerning law enforcement, we do not comment and recommend that you approach the relevant law enforcement agencies for further background on the incident."
As of now, no arrests have been made, and police are urging anyone with information to come forward.
