Philadelphia police are asking for help tracking down a man who attacked a woman inside a University City store on April 22, 2026, after a confrontation on the 4000 block of Market Street in West Philadelphia. Investigators say the man spat on the woman, then lunged at her and hit her several times, leaving her with facial injuries before he and another woman fled the shop. Detectives want neighbors and shoppers to check any phone or security-camera footage that might help put a name to the face seen in the video.
Police share video to identify suspect
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, surveillance footage from inside the store shows a man following and arguing with the victim while another woman pulls at his arm, apparently trying to move him away. The man spits on the woman before suddenly lunging toward her and striking her several times in the face. The station reports that officials posted the footage online on Thursday as part of a push for public help in identifying him.
Detectives are encouraging anyone who was in the store or nearby, and anyone whose home or business cameras cover that stretch of Market Street, to review their footage and share anything that could help move the case forward.
Market Street violence continues this month
The assault follows a separate fatal shooting earlier in April on the same 4000 block of Market Street, where a 26-year-old man was killed inside a store, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Together, the deadly shooting and the April 22 attack add to a run of violent incidents along the busy commercial strip that borders local college campuses.
How to help
Police are asking anyone with information about the attack to contact the Philadelphia Police Department's Southwest Detective Division at 215-686-3183 or 215-686-3184, or to call the department tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477), according to NBC10 Philadelphia. No arrests had been announced at the time of the report, and officials are urging anyone who may have recorded the incident to preserve the footage for investigators.
