‘Society Hill robber’ pleads guilty

The North Philadelphia man charged with being the "Society Hill robber" who committed six strong-arm robberies of women last summer pleaded guilty today before a Philadelphia judge.

Willie Wyche, 40, pleaded guilty before Common Pleas Court Judge Denis P. Cohen to six counts of aggravated assault, robbery and related offenses.

Cohen set sentencing for March 12 and Assistant District Attorney Vincent Regan said Wyche faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years.

"We plan to ask for more than the mandatory minimum but the number hasn't been decided," Regan said.

Wyche decision to plead guilty was not unexpected. On Oct. 13, Wyche waived his right to a preliminary hearing, telling a Municipal Court judge, "I just want to apologize to my victims."

Wyche said nothing during his plea hearing except his barely audible one-word answers to Cohen's questions about whether he understood what he was doing.

"He has been absolutely overcome with remorse," said defense attorney Mythri Jayaraman. "He feels terrible for what he did to these women."

Jayaraman said she hopes to produce mitigating evidence about Wyche's history to reduce his sentence.

Authorities say Wyche was responsible for six robberies between June 25 and July 16 in which the female victims were approached from behind, choked unconscious and had their purses or wallets stolen.

None was sexually assaulted but several suffered bruises and other injuries when they were choked or thrown to the ground.

Wyche was arrested July 20 after detectives accumulated enough evidence to charge him in a July 10 robbery in the 700 block of Lombard Street. Detectives later linked him to five other robbery-assaults in Society Hill.

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