All of Philadelphia was shocked by a singular event of rampant violence that has taken an upstanding community member.
73-year-old James Lambert Jr was beaten to death by a group of young teenagers in North Philadelphia last month. His death shocked the community at large as well as parents everywhere.
The teenagers who committed this act were very young and, at first glance, not the type to commit such an act. However, the released videos showcase not only how horrific their acts were but also how brutal.
73-Year-Old Man James Lambert Jr Beaten to Death
On June 24, around 2:30 A.M., James Lambert Jr was walking on the 2100 block of Cecil B. Moore Avenue when he was brutally attacked with a traffic cone by a group of teen offenders. According to the authorities, Lambert was knocked to the ground and later died from blunt trauma to the head.
Authorities ruled his death a homicide, and cameras caught much of the attack on video. The City of Philadelphia is offering $20,000 for information on this group of teen offenders.
14-Year-Old Facing Charges for James Lambert Jr’s Death
Two weeks after the horrifying incident, two brothers turned themselves in to the authorities regarding the attack.
The brothers, aged 10 and 14, turned themselves into the Philadelphia Police Homicide Unit on Monday. Although both the youths arrived at the premises in connection to the brutal death, authorities only charged the 14-year-old with third-degree murder and conspiracy.
The police released the 10-year-old without being charged with any crime. The police have not stated why.
The 14-year-old, now identified as Richard Jones, will be charged as an adult with murder and criminal conspiracy as police say he was the first to hit the man with a cone.
According to the camera, the police have shared that a group of seven teenagers perpetrated the attacks. They have identified the group to include four males and three females.
As of yet, the authorities don’t know how many in the group include minors. Besides Richard Jones and his 10-year-old brother, police say they have identified a third female suspect who struck the victim at least three times in the surveillance video.
The police released the video of the incident this past Friday, showing a truly frightening sight. The cameras show the teens laughing and smiling as they chase the older man.
They knock him to the ground, but the older man tries to pick himself up and flee. Sadly, the teens manage to knock him down again and then proceed to beat him over and over again.
The fact that they keep smiling and laughing the entire time makes the video terrifying.
The ambulance took Lambert to a local hospital as soon as the authorities arrived, but he passed away the following day after succumbing to his grave injuries.
73-Year-Old James Lambert Jr’s Family
James Lambert Jr is survived by his sister Elsie Lambert Stephens, his niece Tania Stephens, his two daughters, and three grandsons.
The family is distraught to hear the news about Lambert’s death. Stephens talks at length about the impact her uncle’s demise has caused on the family and the community at large.
According to her, the family were really close and even lived within blocks from each other. She and her family grew up with her uncle in a big house in the Fairmount section of the city.
Lambert worked in construction for much of his life till retirement. Stephens shared the story of how he stepped up to help her mother, his sister, to care for her and her ten siblings when she lost her father at the age of 12.
Lambert was very close with his sister, Elsie, Tania’s mother, who called him Simmie. The family spent every Thanksgiving at Elsie’s house.
Lambert was at Elsie’s house for dinner just hours before the attack. He then returned home through the route he was attacked in, although Stephens doesn’t know why her uncle was out so late.
Lambert was a pillar of his community. He overcame a heroin addiction earlier in his life, and Stephens states that he was nothing but a positive influence on her, her siblings, and his children.
Stephens and her family have urged the rest of the teenagers to come forward. Not only the kids but the parents, she stated and questioned why the kids were out at 2 A.M., beating and killing an older man.
The police and the city government remain vigilant in looking for the rest of the teenagers in the video. The reward is still viable, and the police have told the press that new information is still coming.