Philadelphia, PA - Last Saturday, a couple and their 4-year-old son walked into the Platinum and Ice Jewelry store and asked to look at some women’s rings. After eyeing several rings, the two created some kind of diversion that led a store employee to buzz open the security door for the female, who was later identified as Sheakia Stubbs. As she was holding the door open, her companion, John Benson, dropped one of the rings he was examining. When the salesperson bent down to pick it up, Benson snatched a tray of rings worth about $100,000 from under the counter, grabbed his son, and beat feet out of the store while stuffing the rings into a shopping bag. Multi-tasking FTW! The store owner and an employee gave chase, finally catching up to the couple a few blocks away. At some point during the verbal confrontation, Benson whipped out a knife and slashed the store owner’s neck. With that, Benson and Stubbs were on the run again. But the dumbasses left something behind – their kid. Despite his gashed and bleeding neck, the store owner cared for the child until police arrived on scene.
The boy’s picture was released to numerous media outlets over the weekend, but nobody seemed to want to claim him. He got back at his shitty parents, though – he tattled. With the boy’s help in identifying the couple, police were able to track Benson and Stubbs (sounds a little Miami Vice-ish, no?) to a motel where they were arrested without incident late Monday evening. Neither parent asked after the child and there wasn’t a single peep from the child’s extended family, either. For the time being, he is in the custody of DHS. Benson, 47, and Stubbs, 31, are both being held without bail on charges of attempted murder, robbery, and child endangerment. As you can imagine, both have a criminal record and both have served time. Benson has been arrested at least 24 times, and Stubbs, 3. The injured store owner required 12 stitches to close the wound and is expected to fully recover. The rings have not been recovered. Police are asking anyone who may have purchased a ring from Benson or Stubbs to call South Detectives at 215-686-3013 so that they can return the item with no questions asked.
John Benson and Sheakia Stubbs
Many thanks to our friends over at kindertrauma for sending this little gem our way.
Tags: Abandonment, Attempted Murder, Child Endangerment, Crime, Mugshot, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Robbery
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