Cops: Boys ask for water ice but dish out brass-knuckle beating

Two suspects violently beat a store clerk with brass knuckles at gunpoint as the worker scooped out water ice for the young men late last month, according to police.

Disturbing surveillance video of the incident shows one suspect beating the clerk as he cowers on the floor. Even after the two assailants took every last dollar bill from the register, one of them leveled a final blow at the 20-year-old employee's head, the video shows.

According to police, the two suspects, who are believed to be between the ages of 15 and 20, walked into the corner store on the 1300 block of Unity Street in Frankford around 7:30 p.m. July 23 and ordered water ice from the clerk.

In the surveillance video, the suspects can be seen throwing a set of brass knuckles and passing a handgun to each other inside of the store. After a few seconds, one of the suspects is seen going behind the counter and beating the clerk with the brass knuckles while the other, who is in possession of the gun, takes money from the register.

Police said one suspect is 5-feet-8, unshaven and was wearing a blue-and-white shirt with green stripes down the back during the robbery. The second suspect is described as 5-feet-6 with orange-and-red hair and was last seen wearing orange shorts, according to police.

Anyone with information on the crime or the suspects is urged to call Northeast Detective Division at 215-686-3153.