Woman charged with blowing up ATM in Kensington with an M-1000 explosive
Tinikah Hogan, 34, has been charged with a string of felonies while police look for her alleged accomplice.
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Police have arrested and charged a woman with blowing it up an ATM in a Kensington beer store with an M-1000 explosive, commonly referred to as a quarter stick of dynamite, in a failed attempt to loot is cash box.
The blast that rattled Kenny's Place at 1862 E. Allegheny Ave. about 9:35 p.m. Wednesday was the second this week targeting a business in Kensington and, police said, the fourth of its type in the city since June 8.
No injuries were reported, but the explosion ripped apart the top of the ATM.
Despite the damage, the blast did not breach the cash box, police said.
Police said that prior to the explosion, an unidentified man was captured on surveillance video entering the store with what bomb technicians later determined to be an M-1000, which has eight times the explosive mixture of an M-80, sticking out of his pocket.
The man left the store and a short time later, a woman entered with the device, put it into the ATM, and lit its fuse before running out the door, police said.
After the blast, several men ran in and checked the ATM before fleeing empty-handed, police said.
About 1 a.m. Thursday, police stopped a 34-year-old woman at nearby Frankford Avenue and Clearfield Street and took her into custody.
On Friday, police said Tinikah Hogan, of the 3400 block of Emerald Street in Kensington had been charged with felony counts of criminal conspiracy, arson, causing/risking a catastrophe, use of weapon of mass destruction, and attempted theft.
Hogan, who has served time for robbery, was jailed with bail set at 10 percent of $200,000.
Wednesday's blast came hours after the citywide Arson Task Force released a video of two males sought for allegedly throwing an M-type explosive into a Chinese restaurant on the 700 block of Thayer Street on Sunday night, causing what officials called "significant damage."
The task force, which is made up of members of the Philadelphia Police and Fire Departments and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, also released a photo of a male suspect in Wednesday night's ATM blast.
Police said there had been four such explosions in the city this month. In the other two incidents, M-1000s were detonated in ATMs in establishments just blocks apart in Hunting Park on June 8 and on Monday.