Law enforcement officials in Montgomery County have apprehended and charged two Philadelphia residents, Truman Parks, 52, and Sydney Swain-Parks, 27, following a violent episode at a Five Below store. The incident, which took place on December 6, involved the stabbing of a store loss prevention officer. According to NBC Philadelphia, the confrontation stemmed from an alleged theft where Parks is said to have filled a basket with merchandise and left without paying.
As reported by FOX 29, a "heated verbal exchange" occurred after Parks initially fled the store and returned to drop off the empty basket used in the alleged theft. After this confrontation, cameras captured Parks and Swain-Parks entering the store once more. This time, officials say, Parks stabbed the security guard from behind and punched him before the duo escaped in a blue Jeep Liberty.
Authorities arrived on the scene to find the security guard severely wounded, lying in a pool of blood and slipping in and out of consciousness. The victim required emergency surgery but has since been released from Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital. "Investigators used surveillance footage of Park's license plate number to link her to not only the stabbing, but also to hit-and-run crash that happened earlier that day," according to a FOX 29 report. The footage showed Swain-Parks as she "calmly steps around the victim and walks out of the store" post-incident, as per NBC Philadelphia.
The duo now faces charges including attempted murder, conspiracy, and aggravated assault. Bail for Truman Parks is set at an extraordinary $10 million, and $500,000 for Sydney Swain-Parks as reported by PHL17. They are scheduled to appear in court again on December 30.
