Second Suspect Arrested in Murder of Northampton Jeweler William Glatz

Surveillance video of Obina Onyiah. (Philadelphia Police)

Philadelphia police announced the arrest of a career criminal in connection with helping prison escapee Kevin Turner murder William “Bill” Glatz of Northampton at his Rising Sun Avenue jewelry store in Philadelphia’s Northeast last month.

Philly cops say Obina Onyiah, 27, of Philadelphia who has a long rap sheet including robbery charges was arrested after being questioned at police headquarters.

Police say that Onyiah and recent prison escapee Turner, 22, cased William Glatz Jewelers before trying to hold-up the popular store which had been in the neighborhood for over 60 years.

The two men pulled guns on 67-year-old Glatz who then pulled out a pistol and engaged in a shoot-out with the would be robbers. In the end Glatz and Turner died in the store of their wounds.

In a released surveillance tape Onyaih is seen running out of the store after the shoot-out.

Onyaih had recently been released from jail after a three year federal sentence due to being found to have robbed several New Jersey banks.

Friends and family often wondered why Glatz kept the Philadelphia store open after the area surrounding it had become a haven for crime. Glatz would respond by telling family and friends he kept the store open because the neighborhood depend on him.

Glatz and his wife operated at second store on York Road in Warwick which opened several years ago.

Authoirties say Onyiah who is being held without bail was charged with murder, robbery and related offenses.

Tom Sofield (tsofield@buxmontnews.com)
Online Editor

"A Credible Threat Against our Country"



PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 29: A UPS cargo plane rests on
the tarmac after a suspicious package was found onboard
 October 29, 2010 at Philadelphia International Airport in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Packages were found in Philadelphia and
Newark, New Jersey after federal investigators were alerted
 by the discovery of a potentially explosive device at an airport in
 Birmingham, England last night.
(Photo by William Thomas Cain/Getty Images)



President Obama announced today that packages carrying explosives were intercepted after being sent from Yemen and addressed to two Chicago synagogues.


The packages being shipped via UPS were found in Birmingham, England, and the United Arab Emirates late Thursday night.

"An initial examination of those packages has determined that they do apparently contain explosive material," President Obama said at a Friday afternoon announcement.

Friday morning American authorities searched three planes , two in Philadelphia and one in Newark, for explosives but none were found.

Officials in Washington believe that al-Qaida was involved with the explosives and the Department of Homeland Security says airport security has been stepped up. 

UPS released a statement this afternoon saying it is working with authorities and that safety is one of their main concerns.

Tom Sofield (tsofield@buxmontnews.com)

Online Editor

Escapee Who Killed Jeweler; Escapee Got Help

Philadelphia Police told the Philadelphia Daily News that they are expecting arrests late this week in connection with the prison break of inmate Kevin Turner, 22, who days after his escape from Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility murdered Northampton jeweler William Glatz at his Northeast Philly shop.

William Glatz

Police suspect Turner received help escaping from the jail.

Turner is presumed to have escaped through a loading dock and then a vehicle as it was leaving the prison grounds.

The newspaper reports that police are still investigating the robbery that went wrong last Thursday which left Turner and Glatz dead.


Police are still searching for two more suspects in the murder which occurred on Rising Sun Avenue.


Story from last week on the murder.

Tom Sofield (tsofield@buxmontnews.com)
Online Editor

Escaped Inmate Murders Northampton Jeweler (with Video)

A jeweler who resided in the Holland section of Northampton was killed in an exchange of gunfire Thursday in Northeast Philadelphia after a botched robbery attempt.

The jewelry store owner William Glatz, 67, who also owns William Glatz Jewelry in Warwick was killed defending his Philadelphia store on Rising Sun Avenue when two men attempted to rob it.

Police report that Glatz was shot in the torso and pronounced dead at the hospital.

One of the robbers who was killed in the shoot-out Kevin Turner, 22, had escaped two weeks ago from a city jail.

Turner is also believed to have robbed a Gold Exchange in the city last week.

Philadelphia police are looking for two other people who were involved in the botched robbery, one a gun man who was caught on security camera fleeing the scene in black car with tinted windows and the other person police are looking for is the driver of the black car.

The Daily News reports that William Glatz Jewelry on Rising Sun Avenue was opened by William Glatz’s father William Glatz Sr. who emigrated here from Germany more than 60 years ago.

William or Bill as friends and family know him ran the Philadelphia store while his wife managed the Warwick store which opened about 10 years ago.

Friends and family often wondered why Glatz kept the Philadelphia store open after the area surrounding it has become a haven for crime. Glatz would respond by telling family and friends he kept the store open because the neighborhood depend on him.

Police are still investigating the robbery, looking for the two suspects and do not believe anything was taken in the robbery.

Below is surveillance video of the the suspect police are looking for:

If you have any information pertaining to the investigating contact Philadelphia Police at 215-686-3334.

Tom Sofield (tsofield@buxmontnews.com)
Online Editor

Phillies Win Game Five of NLCS

The Phillies won NLCS game five, 4-3 against the San Fransisco Giant forcing a game 5 to be in Philadelphia Saturday with a 7:30 p.m. start.

San Francisco Giants Cody Ross (R) is tagged out at third by Philadelphia Phillies Placido Polanco to end the fourth inning of Game 5 of their Major League Baseball NLCS playoff series in San Francisco, October 21, 2010. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith Content © 2010 Reuters All rights reserved.

Parking Authority Offering Discount for Sporting Events

Are you planning to head down to South Philly to see one of the many sporting events happen this weekend? If you are the Philadelphia Parking Authority will be offering a “$5 Playoff Day” parking rate for fans that park at one of two Center City parking garages.

The $5 parking will be accepted at two PPA garages one at 15th and Arch Streets and the other PPA parking garage under Love Park at 15th and JFK. Boulevard. The discounted rate will only be given if you show your sporting event ticket to one of the garage attendants.

Phillies post season baseball will take place Saturday and Sunday night at Citizens Bank Park along with Saturday’s Temple game at Lincoln Financial Field, the Flyer’s at the Wells Fargo Center (formally the Wachovia Center) Saturday night, and Sunday’s Eagles game at Lincoln Financial Field.

Once parking in Center City you can access the SEPTA Sports Express line which runs from Center City to the stadium complex in South Philly. SEPTA reports trip from Center City to the stadium complex is 11 minutes.

Tom Sofield (tsofield@buxmontnews.com)
Online Editor