Arrest for Robbery & Shooting at 7/11 Store, 2869 Limekiln Pk, North Hills

April 13, 2016
Case 16-013998

At approximately 1:35 AM on April 5, 2016, a lone male (suspect) dressed all in black with a
white cloth covering his lower face and carrying a handgun, entered the 7-11 Store and
confronted the lone employee (victim) who was working, a 67 year old male from Willow Grove.
The suspect struggled briefly with the victim before shooting him once in the leg. The suspect
then fired a second shot at the victim as he lay wounded on the floor but this shot missed. The
suspect then fled the store and the victim was transported to AMH for treatment of his injuries.
This was the second time that this same suspect robbed the 7-11 in North Hills. On December 9,
2015 at 2:47 AM, an armed man dressed the same exact way robbed the store. In addition,
Abington Police discovered that Cheltenham Police had been investigating two other armed
robberies where the suspect fit the same exact description. The 7-11 at 250 S. Easton Road in
Cheltenham was robbed on November 26, 2015 and the Sunoco Gas Station at 300 S. Easton
Road was robbed on December 2, 2015. Working with Cheltenham Police, 26 year old Lamar
Kevin SOWELL of Philadelphia was developed as a suspect.
With continued assistance from Cheltenham Police and the Montgomery County District
Attorney’s Office, Abington Police worked with Philadelphia Police Northeast Detective Division
to obtain search and seizure warrants for two addresses in Philadelphia where SOWELL had
been living and for the car he had been driving. During the execution of the search warrants, a
gun which is believed to be the one used in the robberies was recovered from SOWELL’S
property and the blue “HENDRIX” shirt worn by the “witness” in the April 5 robbery was also
recovered. Minutes before the robbery on April 5, 2016, a man wearing a bright blue T-shirt with
“HENDRIX” on the front entered and walked around the store. APD originally sought this man
as a witness but quickly realized that it was SOWELL “casing” the store without his coat and
mask on before committing the crime. PPD NEDD took SOWELL into custody and he was later
transferred to APD.
SOWELL is being charged with attempted homicide, four counts of robbery, firearms violations
and other related charges. SOWELL is currently awaiting his arraignment.
Note: CRIMINAL CHARGES, AND ANY DISCUSSION THEREOF, ARE MERELY
ALLEGATIONS AND ALL DEFENDANTS ARE PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL AND
UNLESS PROVEN GUILTY