Charges also filed in separate gun-point robbery, which was posted to social media
HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday, along with law enforcement partners, including the Philadelphia Police Department, announced the arrest of a man wanted for pistol-whipping a customer during a robbery last month at a Philadelphia convenience store.
Kashon A. Smith, 27, a multiple-time convicted felon, was arrested Thursday in Montgomery County. Smith was on parole when he robbed Zay’s Convenience Store, in the 2900 block of Ridge Avenue, in North Philadelphia, and a customer, on April 18.
The incident was captured on surveillance video and shows Smith repeatedly striking the customer in the head with a handgun and discharging the weapon inside of the store.
The Office of Attorney General’s Philadelphia Gun Violence Task Force, along with Norristown Police Department, Montgomery County Detectives Bureau, and the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections FAST, arrested Smith.
He was arraigned early Friday morning on aggravated assault, robbery, and related charges. Bail was set at $350,000, and he also has a parole detainer.
“This felon was considered armed and a danger to anyone he crossed paths with, so we are pleased to have him in custody and facing serious charges,” Attorney General Sunday said. “This was an extremely violent robbery that involved a customer being pistol-whipped multiple times. Pennsylvanians deserve to live free and without fear of being targeted in acts of gun violence, and we will continue to work with our partners to rid neighborhoods of violent offenders.”
– Regarding a separate robbery last month, Kamel Cross and Symir McCoy are charged with using multiple firearms, including a handgun and an assault style rifle, to threaten a man, beating him and going into his pockets to take cash and a watch — in an incident recorded and broadcast on social media.
After law enforcement learned through social media that McCoy was hosting a “4/20 party” at a Philadelphia AirBnB rental, McCoy was arrested there with a handgun that matched the gun used in the robbery — which was posted on social media.
Cross, 18, was arraigned Thursday when bail was set at $400,000. McCoy, 22, was arraigned last week when bail was set at $350,000.
Also at the AirBnB party, police arrested Donte Trent and charged him with felony firearms and drug-dealing offenses.
The cases will be prosecuted by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. Criminal charges, and any discussion thereof, are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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