Meant to post this up earlier this morning. In today's Daily News, I detailed Police Commissioner Chuck Ramsey's plan to merge the 22nd and 23rd Districts in North Philadelphia by Jan. 3, 2010. Here's the skinny:

For much of Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey's two-year tenure, there have been rumblings about his desire to cut the number of police districts, or at least redraw their boundaries.

Turns out those rumors had more than a shred of truth to them. Come Jan. 3, the 22nd and 23rd districts in North Philadelphia will merge, Ramsey told the Daily News in a recent interview.

The districts, which share the same headquarters at 17th Street and Montgomery Avenue, are among a handful that police brass have considered combining.

Lest longtime residents take to the streets in panic, Ramsey noted that the merger will not lead to a reduction in the number of cops who patrol the neighborhoods in the districts, which include Strawberry Mansion, North Philly and Brewerytown.

"As far as the community goes, the police station's still there, and the officers from both districts will still be there," he said.

"They're both relatively small districts. We're merging them primarily because we don't have enough resources to staff 23 police districts."

The merger is not occurring because of, and will not lead to, any financial savings, according to Ramsey.

According to police statistics, the 22nd District, has about 200 police officers; the 23rd has about 150.

A handful of lieutenants, sergeants and administrative staff will be transferred to other districts, as will 23rd District Capt. Joe Bartorilla. Branville Bard, captain of the 22nd, will be in charge of the combined district, Ramsey said.

The "new" district, which will be known as the 22nd, will have boundaries that stretch from Poplar Street to Lehigh Avenue, and from 10th Street to 33rd.

For more information on the merger, click here to read the rest.

Maki Thomas, accused of a fatal shooting in 2001, has eluded authorities for eight years but inadvertently dimed himself out earlier today.
Thomas, 24, apparently used his given name when he visited a medical center in Haverford to have an old injury treated, said Special Agent J.J. Klaver, an FBI spokesman.
Staffers at the center became suspicious and called local law enforcement, who ran his name through a database.
Within moments, they realized Thomas was wanted for allegedly gunning down Quentin Armstrong at 52nd Street and Washington Avenue in West Philadelphia on March 29, 2001, Klaver said.
The fatal shooting had apparently been retaliation for a previous gang-related shooting that involved one of Thomas’ relatives, Klaver added.
Members of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force, which includes Philadelphia police, raced to Haverford, only to find that Thomas had already given them the slip.
Several media reports claimed investigators had engaged in a high-speed chase with Thomas, but “there was no chase,” Klaver added.
“It is believed that the car he was seen in at the clinic, or at least a car matching the description of his, was seen getting onto the Blue Route,” he said, “but the car was never located there.”
Instead, a dark-colored vehicle that investigators believe Thomas used to flee was later found abandoned in West Oak Lane, said police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore.
Thomas, who is 5-feet-7, 150 pounds, has tattoos on his left forearm. His last known addresses were on 64th Street near Haddington Lane and Cambridge Street near 41st, Klaver said.
He is considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone with information on Thomas’ whereabouts can contact the FBI at 215-418- 4000, or Philadelphia police at 215-686-TIPS.

Pennsylvania SPCA workers had the unwelcome task today of sifting through the remains of five animals that apparently had been sacrificed, officials said.

A passerby found the beheaded animals -- a dog, cat and three chickens -- near a bike path on Bingham Street near Roosevelt Boulevard in Olney about 1 p.m., said George Bengal, the PSPCA’s director of investigations.

“It appears to be ritualistic sacrifice,” Bengal said.

“It looks like the act was done somewhere else, and the remains were left here in the park.”

PSPCA officials often see a rise in animals being sacrificed at this time of the year, he noted, because it coincides with “a lot of high holidays that different groups celebrate.”

But most sacrifices usually only involve goats and chickens. “This is a little over the top with the dogs and cats,” Bengal said. “The use of domestic animals is a bit bizarre.”

Criminal charges could be filed against the person or people who beheaded the cat and dog, he said.

Investigators were performing a necropsy on both animals last night to see if they had microchip implants, which are often used to identify pets.

“If they have [microchips], we should be able to trace it back to the owner,” Bengal said.

Tipsters can contact the PSPCA at 215-426-6300.

What a difference a day makes.
On Tuesday, 8-year-old Kaitlyn Bradfield was in the intensive care unit at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children with a tube down her throat, while doctors tried to determine just how badly she had been injured by a hit-and-run driver earlier in the day.
Yesterday, Kaitlyn was up and chatting on the phone to her enormously relieved relatives.
“She called and talked to everybody. She asked her mommy to bring her dolly to the hospital,” said Dorothea Ball, the girl’s aunt.
“She seems upbeat,” Ball added. “It’s a world of difference, for sure.”
Police said Kaitlyn and her twin sister, Eryca, were struck by a gray Lincoln Towncar at Colgate Street and Cheltenham Avenue about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Eryca suffered bumps and bruises. Kaitlyn suffered a worse fate — the car actually rolled over her abdomen, leaving tire marks on her body. She was initially admitted to St. Christopher’s in critical condition.
She has since been upgraded to good condition, and the worst of her injuries appear to be a broken ankle and broken arm, Ball said last night.
Meanwhile, the hunt for the motorist who mowed down the girls took an encouraging turn yesterday.
Police identified Shawn Timbers, 22, of Alcott Street near Frontenac in Northeast Philadelphia, as a “person of interest” in the case.
Timbers is believed to be a relative of the owner of the Lincoln, an investigator said.
Detectives found the car on Cheltenham Avenue near Summerdale Avenue a few hours after the accident. Their investigation was aided, in part, by a handful of residents who witnessed the accident, then chased after the car and jotted down the license plate number.
Ball said family members believe an angel was watching over Kaitlyn and Eryca, who were hit by the heartless motorist as they walked to a corner store.
Eryca, who was treated and released from St. Christopher’s a few hours after the accident, has pined to be with her sister.
The two girls, Ball noted, are inseparable.
“Eryca told her mom she wants to be in the hospital, with Kaitlyn,” she said. “They’re very, very close.”
Anyone with information on Timbers’ whereabouts can contact police at 215-685-3180.

“Don’t die on me!”
You can imagine a soldier yelling those desperate words to a wounded comrade on some gritty battlefield, half a world away.
Yesterday, they were uttered by 8-year-old Eryca Bradfield to her twin sister, Kaitlyn, moments after both girls were mowed down by a heartless hit-and-run driver in Crescentville, a relative of the youngsters said.
The adorable, inseparable sisters were on their way to a corner store on Cheltenham Avenue near Colgate Street about 3:30 p.m. when they were struck by a gray Lincoln Town Car that sped from the scene, police officials said.
Eryca, amazingly, suffered only bumps and bruises, said her aunt, Dorothea Ball. She was expected to be released from St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, where she was treated for minor injuries.
Kaitlyn was not as lucky.
Police said the Lincoln rolled over the little girl, leaving tire marks on her clothes and abdomen. She was listed in critical condition last night at St. Christopher’s.
A number of local residents chased after the fleeing motorist and jotted down the Lincoln’s license plate number.
An arrest in the case was expected to come soon, an investigator said last night. Police found a car that they believe might have been involved, at Cheltenham Avenue near Summerdale Avenue.
Police said they had talked with the owner of the car but it was unclear who had been driving it.
While Kaitlyn was being monitored by doctors in an intensive care unit, her relatives tried to come to grips with the truly horrific turn of events.
“She might have some internal injuries. She has a tube down her throat, and the doctors said her stomach is distended,” said Ball.
“Everyone is devastated.”
Earlier in the day, both girls enjoyed an off day from school while they played at Ball’s house on Lawndale Avenue near Robbins Street.
Kaitlyn, the quieter of the two and a huge Hannah Montana fan, pranced around the house in a tiara, a leftover accessory from the princess costume she wore on Halloween, the aunt said.
When playtime was over, Ball said she dropped the girls off at their house on Cheltenham Avenue near Colgate Street.
Their mother, Mary Anne McIntyre, was home, as were the girls’ brothers, Jaycob, 14, and Jayson, 10, Ball noted. Their father, Eric Bradfield, was not at home.
“My husband gave them both a dollar, so they were pretty excited,” Ball said.
“I think they just decided to walk to the corner store near their house to buy something.”
Ball said she and other relatives frequently warn the girls about being mindful of cars that sometimes speed down residential streets. As a safety precaution, the sisters learned to hold hands when they crossed the street.
Ball said the girls were probably arm-in-arm on their way to the store yesterday.
In an instant, everything changed, and the girls — second-graders at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School — became victims of a painfully violent crime.
“Eryca said to her sister, ‘Don’t die on me!’ Those two, they’re inseparable,” Ball said.
“How do people sleep at night? How can you run over two little girls?”

Dionte Christmas, the former Temple University basketball star whom the 76ers cut from their roster Wednesday, was arrested in North Philadelphia tonight, police officials told the Daily News.
Christmas was stopped by Highway Patrol Officers Dave Marcellino and Ivan Rosado on Nedro Avenue near Broad Street about 7:30 p.m. for driving erratically in a car with heavily tinted windows, said Highway Patrol Capt. Michael Cochrane.
Things got worse from there.
Christmas was driving without a license, and the officers found a Hi-Point 9mm semiautomatic handgun tucked under the driver’s seat, Cochrane said. The weapon was loaded with seven rounds.
Christmas was taken to the 35th District’s headquarters, at Broad and Champlost streets in Ogontz, where he was expected to be charged tonight with a felony weapons offense, police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore said.
Police later learned that the car Christmas was driving belonged to Sixer forward/center Marreese Speights, Cochrane said. The 9mm apparently also was registered to Speights, he said.
Christmas had a passenger in the car, who was not identified by police or charged with any wrongdoing.
Michael Preston, a spokesman for the 76ers, said the team was aware of the situation but didn’t have a comment.
Christmas’ agent, Andre Buck, could not be reached for comment, nor could Speights’ agent, Andy Miller.
Christmas, a Philadelphia native who starred at Temple after playing at Fels High and Philadelphia Lutheran Christian, was invited to the Sixers’ camp after he went undrafted in the June NBA draft. He played in four preseason games, averaging 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per outing.
The 6-foot-5 shooting guard impressed the team with his work ethic, but not enough to make the final roster.
In a recent interview, Temple coach Fran Dunphy told the Daily News that Christmas is a “terrific guy.”
“His desire is critical to any success I hope he achieves in the NBA,” said Dunphy. “He wants to be coached, he wants to learn, he wants to be part of the team. He realizes how much hard work he has to put in to attain his goal and he's willing to do that.”

Homicide investigators had the grim task today of investigating the death of a 10-year-old girl from Feltonville.
The girl, identified as Charlenni Ferreira, was found unconscious on a bathroom floor by her stepmother about 10:30 a.m., said police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore.
Ferreira was taken to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, where she died a short while later.
Vanore said the cause and manner of the girl’s death had not yet been determined.
A medical examiner did, however, tell investigators that the girl had suffered trauma and bore evidence of pre-exisiting injuries, a police source said.
The girl lived with her father, step-mother and two step-brothers inside a house on C Street near Wyoming Avenue, the source said.
Her family, including her father, mother and step-mother, were all questioned by homicide detectives at Police Headquarters yesterday. No charges have been filed against the girl's relatives.
Alicia Taylor, a spokeswoman for the Department of Human Services, declined to verify if DHS had any prior dealings with Ferreira or her family.
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A veteran Philadelphia police officer was charged earlier today with allegedly trying to get a female prisoner to perform oral sex on him, police officials said.

Early this morning, another cop spotted Officer Malaika T. Mebane, 38, standing in a jail cell with a female prisoner inside the 35th District's headquarters, at Broad and Champlost streets, authorities said. The officer reported the situation to a supervisor, who later contacted Internal Affairs investigators.

The cell was held as a possible crime scene. Police said the prisoner later told investigators that Mebane, a 17-year veteran, had asked her to perform oral sex on him. Mebane was charged with attempted sexual assault and related offenses. Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey suspended Mebane for 30 days with the intent to dismiss.

For about two hours tonight, it seemed like all hell had broken loose in the city.
During that short time span, police were called to the scenes of two separate murder-suicides and a pair of unrelated shootings that left two men fighting for their lives.
The spurt of violence started shortly after 7 p.m., when a 60-year-old Ukranian woman fatally shot her 90-year-old mother and then turned the gun on herself in East Mount Airy, said Chief Inspector Scott Small.
The murder-suicide occurred inside the victims’ home, on Gowen Avenue near Stenton. Both victims, whose names weren’t released, died at the scene.
Several neighbors who were out walking their dogs stopped when they saw yellow crime scene tape stretched around the handsome single home.
Small said the elderly woman’s husband had recently died, but it was unclear if that played any role in the murder-suicide.
About 8:30 p.m., an 18-year-old man was shot in the head on Duval Street near Germantown Avenue in East Germantown, Small said.
The victim, whose name wasn’t released, was admitted to Albert Einstein Medical Center in “extremely critical condition,” Small said.
Police arrested the shooter a few blocks from the scene, with the help of witnesses who identified him, he said. It was unclear, however, what motivated the shooting.
About fifteen minutes later, a man in his early 40s riddled his estranged wife with bullets and then fatally shot himself inside their home on Maple Avenue near Trevose in Somerton, Small said. Neither victim was identified by police.
“The wife had recently gotten a protection from abuse order, but that didn’t stop him from calling her or showing up,” Small said.
The man and his estranged wife were both pronounced dead inside at the scene, he added.
Finally, about 9 p.m., a robber shot and critically wounded a 52-year-old man inside a pizza shop on Cottman Avenue near Castor.
“He robbed the cashier and four patrons, and then for some reason, shot one patron in the chest,” Small said.
The victim was listed in critical condition at Aria Health-Torresdale.
Police arrested the gunman a short while later, with the help of the patrons, who all positively identified him, Small said.