14-Year-Old Charged With Murder in Philadelphia Mob Beating of 73-Year-Old Man

Philly beating
Surveillance footage showed seven young people chasing and beating James Lambert, police said.Philadelphia Police Department/Lambert Family

Philadelphia police said they are looking for five other teens who allegedly attacked an elderly man, who died from his injuries.

A 14-year-old Philadelphia boy has been charged as an adult with murder in connection with the fatal beating of a 73-year-old man, authorities said.

Richard Jones, accompanied by his family, turned himself in Monday, along with his 10-year-old brother, police said. Jones was then charged with third-degree murder and criminal conspiracy, prosecutors said.

His younger brother was questioned and released, police said. No charges were filed against him.

"It's a very sad situation for all of the children, for the man's family and for everybody involved. These are children so let's let them have their peace," family attorney Rania Major said Monday.

Surveillance video was released Friday by Philadelphia police that showed a group of young people attacking James Lambert on June 24 at about 2:38 a.m. In the disturbing footage, a young male can be seen throwing a traffic cone at the man, who is seen falling to the ground.

As the man staggers away, a young female picks up the cone and hurls it over her head at the man. Lambert died the next day from his injuries, police said.

Four boys and three girls chased and attacked Lambert, whose family called him "Simmie," police said. Authorities are looking for the others, who are in their early to mid-teens, police said. A $20,000 reward has been offered by Philadelphia police for information leading to the identification and arrest of the suspects.

During a Monday court hearing, Jones' attorney asked for leniency, saying the boy recently graduated from middle school and had no previous criminal record or disciplinary actions.

The lawyer said Jones had thrown a traffic cone at the man, but it hit him in the shoulder.

Lambert's cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, a coroner ruled.

The man was a lifelong Philadelphia resident and often took long walks in his neighborhood and was known for being a snappy dresser, his family said.

The magistrate ordered Jones held on $750,000 bail. He is being held at a juvenile detention center pending his July 26 preliminary hearing.

"It's so evil, how could you do that to a person," Elsie Stephens, the victim's older sister told WCAU-TV.  "You have a mother and a father, how could you just beat a man until you take off half of his skull," she said. 

James "Simmie" Lambert. - Lambert Family

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