Reward at $110,000 after 3 kids killed by carjacked SUV

TIOGA, PA -- A $110,000 reward is being offered until noon Monday following Friday's carjacking and crash that killed three children in the Tioga section of Philadelphia and left their mother seriously injured.

The Fraternal Order of Police added $10,000 to the $100,000 reward posted Friday for information leading to the arrest of the two suspects in the case. The additional $10,000 in reward money will remain posted until 12:00 p.m. Monday, after which the reward will revert to $100,000 for tips leading to an arrest and conviction.

The deadly incident happened late Friday morning.

Police say 34-year-old Keisha Williams and her children, 10-year-old Thomas Reed, 15-year-old, Keiearra Williams and 7-year-old Terrence Williams, were helping 65-year-old Thelma Brown sell fruit to raise money for their parish, Eagles Wings Evangelistic Church at 17th and Tioga.

Suddenly a Toyota 4Runner SUV that was carjacked blew a tire as it was turning at a high rate of speed.

The SUV crashed through the little fruit stand, scattering the victims' bodies across the community garden before crashing into a grove of trees on the far end.

The two suspects inside the stolen vehicle took off on foot and remain at large.

The father of Thomas Reed made an emotional plea, saying, "Taking innocent people's lives. That's my son, you took him away from me. Turn yourself in, dog. Whoever y'all is, turn yourself in."

The crash happened around 11:15 a.m. at the intersection of Germantown Avenue and West Allegheny.

Police say it all began a short time earlier in the 600 block of Cumberland Street. That's when a 45-year-old woman, a real estate agent who had just met with a client, was carjacked at gunpoint and forced into the back seat by two men, who took off, eventually crashing the car at Germantown and West Allegheny.

"The first thing I noticed was the kids, children, on the ground. Nobody was moving," said witness Renee Charleston.

10-year-old Thomas was pronounced dead on the scene. 15-year-old Keiearra was pronounced dead at Temple University Hospital and 7-year-old Terrence was pronounced dead at Saint Christopher's Hospital for Children.

Their mother was hospitalized and said to be in extremely critical condition.

The carjacking victim was in critical but stable condition at Temple. She was still in the vehicle when it crashed, police said.

Another adult injured was Thelma Brown, described as the 'matriarchal figure' of the neighborhood, who took the children to the corner to sell fruit every Friday. She was listed in stable condition at Hahnemann University Hospital.

Thelma's daughter, Tiawana Brown, was aghast over what happened.

"It's what they do every Friday. They go around the corner and sell the fruit every Friday for the neighborhood," Brown said. "The garden they were in is the community garden for the kids to go play."

Investigators say the suspects fled the scene on foot and are still being sought. Police were using helicopters, dogs and officers on horseback in the search.

SUSPECT #1: Described as a black male wearing a white t-shirt.

SUSPECT #2: Described as a Hispanic male wearing a white t-shirt.

The city of Philadelphia raised the reward to $100,000 as the search for those suspects continued into Friday evening.

"I've been in the homicide unit for six years and this is one of the saddest cases that I've come across," said Capt. James Clark of the Philadelphia Police. "You have three innocent children who had the rest of their lives in front of them who were taken in this fashion. It is very sad and very tragic."

"We will find the individuals who are responsible for this."

In addition, police are urging any businesses with surveillance cameras that might have caught any activity between the carjacking scene at 6th and Cumberland and the crash scene at Germantown Avenue and West Allegheny to give them a call immediately.

"We have a tragedy here. We will use all the resources at our disposal to find the people responsible," said Commissioner Charles Ramsey.

"For you to hit a family, and get of a vehicle and run? You're a bunch of cowardly dogs!" said neighbor Joyce Fisher. "You need to turn yourself in!"

If you have information call Philadelphia Police at 215-686-TIPS (8477), text police at PPDTIP (773847) or submit a tip online at PhillyPolice.com.