All of Philadelphia was shocked by a singular event of rampant violence that has taken an upstanding community member.
On June 24th, around 2:45 a.m, a group of seven teenagers beat a 73-year-old man with a traffic cone in north Philadelphia. The older man, James Lambert, was walking the streets when a group of seven teenagers surrounded and began attacking him.
The violent attack was captured on video, where the seven teenagers began striking Lambert with a traffic cone and other objects down the 2100 block of Cecil B. Moore Avenue. The teenagers are three girls and four boys, between the ages of 13 and 17.
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
James Lambert Jr. was walking on the 2100 block of Cecil B. Moore Avenue when he was brutally attacked around 2:30 a.m. on June 24.
Several juveniles were seen in surveillance footage surrounding and recording the 73-year-old man as some group members hit him in the head with a traffic cone.
Lambert fell to the ground, unable to withstand the constant hits as the teenagers beat him. Lambert began to walk away to escape the abuse when a female teenager struck him in the back with a traffic cone.
After being shoved to the ground multiple times, Lambert sustained head injuries and was taken to Temple University Hospital.
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.
Tania Stephens, Lambert’s niece, wants justice for her uncle and questions why the teenagers were out so late without parental supervision.
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.
— Matt Petrillo (@MattPetrillo) July 8, 2022
Philadelphia Police Capt. Jason Smith stated, “It’s horrible, it’s a horrible occurrence. Mr. Lambert proceeds to get up, attempting to walk away from the group again, and at that time, you can see a female strike Mr. Lambert, in the back with a construction cone.”
14-Year-Old Facing Charges for James Lambert Jr’s Death
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.
Recently, officials approved a new summer curfew for minors through September 29th. Those between ages 14 and 17 must be home by 10:00 p.m. Formerly, the latest time teenagers were permitted to be outside was until midnight, but now rules have changed. Children under 13 are required to be home by 9:30 p.m.
Given the modified curfew, it is an attempt by the city of Philadelphia to keep the streets safer after news of the horrific attack. The bill was proposed by Councilwoman Katherine Gilmore, who thinks “we’re seeing our young people involved in more criminal incidents, criminal activity simply because they’re out late.”
For teenagers found violating curfew, officials will bring them home to their families, keep them at a precinct, or take them to a community center.
73-Year-Old James Lambert Jr’s Family
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.
