Shopping Spree

Sixteen-year-old Brian Samuel led a princely life in a decaying mill town. His grandparents gave him a flashy red car last summer when his feet could barely touch the pedals. His parents lavished gifts on him, including a top-of-the-line bicycle, a dirt bike and a new computer when a program wouldn't run on his old one. Samuel also was privileged to have two strong parents who worked hard as home contractors. As head of the junior ushers at church, he sang "No Greater Love" in the choir at Easter and often addressed adults as "ma'am" and "sir.

DEAR ABBY: My 12-year-old daughter, "Mandy," was invited to a friend's birthday party along with 12 other girls. They were told to meet at the mall where they'd "go shopping" together, then go for a sleepover afterward. The birthday girl told her friends to bring money as gifts. Well, she raked in more than $300 then proceeded to spend it all on herself while her friends stood and watched. Mandy returned home the next day and told me that although the girl spent the money on herself, her mom did buy them each a beverage.

The Cherry Hill Mall was filled yesterday with package-toting families, people on vacation, and students on holiday. Some cashed gift certificates. Others returned things that didn't fit or didn't work. Many took advantage of post-holiday sales. Most stores were well-stocked with merchandise and big discounts. Still, finding the right item proved to be a challenge for some. "So many hats, but none that look good on me," a Center City businessman grumbled as he looked at a shelf overflowing with headgear.

Federal investigators are preparing a case against two women and a man who were charged locally with spending hundreds of phony $100 bills at two area malls. The three have been sitting in Montgomery County Prison - held on $250,000 cash bail - since Friday, accused of spending at least $18,000 in fake money on a daylong shopping spree. All were charged with forgery, theft by deception, receiving stolen property, retail theft and conspiracy. Secret Service officials may submit their case to the U.S. Attorney's Office soon, said Special Agent in Charge Ernest Kun. But first, he said, investigators need to dig for some additional facts: Are the three - one of whom is a Colombian citizen - working together as "mules," couriers sent to spend forged money, for a large international counterfeit operation?

The two 11-year-olds pondered the play kitchen. It looked sturdy enough, and it came with its own refrigerator, stove and sink. But would a 2-year-old boy think it was fun? Would he prefer the play supermarket instead? Hmmmm. The 11-year-olds, Elizabeth Rice and Donovan Greene, had tough decisions to make in the Jamesway store Monday. They were two of the 100 or so fifth and sixth graders from New Hope-Solebury Elementary School who raised more than $1,200 to buy Christmas toys for needy children.

Students at the Chester County Intermediate Unit's Center for Arts and Technology-Brandywine campus have raised $4,736 for the Marines' Toys for Tots campaign. The students headed out for a shopping spree at the Ames Department Store in Thorndale early Saturday. They had the store to themselves and received a 15 percent discount on all the toys they purchased. The discount amounts to more than $700 worth of toys, according to Mary Curley, IU spokeswoman. Today, at an all-school assembly at CAT-Brandywine in Coatesville, the students are expected to present Marine representatives with the toys.

A shopping spree brings on holiday smiles and T-shirts at Strawbridge & Clothier in Center City. Hundreds of children got to shop, sponsored by the Jaycees. Some of the happy campers are (from left) Yesenia Cruz, 5, Loraine Cartagena, 8, Franchesea Torres, 8, Tanisha Sullivan, 7, and Wendy Sullivan.

If his lawyer is to be believed, Simeon Bozic was too afraid not to murder Asia Adams three years ago. In fact, Bozic was so terrified that he joined in cutting the 21-year-old West Chester University student's throat, took turns hitting her across the face with a shovel, and a day later set her Germantown house on fire to cover up the crime. That was the essence of defense attorney Daniel A. Rendine's closing argument yesterday. Bozic "was scared to death," Rendine told the jury.

Two Philadelphia women were arrested Monday and charged with stealing the purse of an 86-year-old woman who was visiting a grave in Montgomery County, then going on a $700 shopping spree, police said. Officers found Lauren Daniels, 25, and Candace Thomas, 30, in an Olney residence. They were charged with the June 12 theft and fraudulent use of the victim's credit card, police said. The victim was visiting a grave at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Cheltenham Township on a Sunday morning when the women stole her purse from her unlocked vehicle, police said.

DEAR ABBY: My 12-year-old daughter, "Mandy," was invited to a friend's birthday party along with 12 other girls. They were told to meet at the mall where they'd "go shopping" together, then go for a sleepover afterward. The birthday girl told her friends to bring money as gifts. Well, she raked in more than $300 then proceeded to spend it all on herself while her friends stood and watched. Mandy returned home the next day and told me that although the girl spent the money on herself, her mom did buy them each a beverage.

The soap opera relationship between DeSean Jackson and the Eagles took another turn Sunday when the mercurial wide receiver was left inactive against the Cardinals for missing a special teams meeting Saturday morning. Although Jackson showed up for the team walk-through Saturday, missing the meeting was enough for coach Andy Reid to take one of the Eagles' most dynamic players off the field - and display for the first time since training camp the rift between the team and the wide receiver.

The soap opera relationship between DeSean Jackson and the Eagles took another turn Sunday when the mercurial wide receiver was left inactive against the Cardinals after missing a special teams meeting Saturday morning. Jackson showed up for the team walk through Saturday, but missing the meeting was enough that coach Andy Reid sat him Sunday, taking one of the Eagles' most dynamic players off the field and, for the first time since training camp, showing an open rift between the team and wide receiver.

SOME BURGLARS are stealthy. They'll pick a lock, swipe the diamonds you rarely wear, and leave no evidence behind. You might not notice what's missing for weeks or months. And then there's Britney Singleton and Harley Gifford, the 19-year-old lesbian lovers who Upper Darby police say ransacked more than two dozen houses this summer, stealing everything from flat-screen TVs to facial creams - and turning back only when, the women insist, a lion greeted them inside one of the homes.

* IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA 10 tonight on FX * THE SECRET CIRCLE. 9 tonight on PHL17 IF THERE'S ONE thing I've long admired about FX's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," a show I'll admit made me wince long before it made me laugh, it's that these guys are all in. Totally committed to whatever insanity they've decided to pursue, they'll pretty much go anywhere, do anything, to make a point. As the show enters its seventh season tonight, you might expect Rob McElhenney, the St. Joe's Prep grad who created the show and is one of its stars, to have gone a little Hollywood, what with syndication money, marriage (to co-star Kaitlin "Sweet Dee" Olson)

Two Philadelphia women were arrested Monday and charged with stealing the purse of an 86-year-old woman who was visiting a grave in Montgomery County, then going on a $700 shopping spree, police said. Officers found Lauren Daniels, 25, and Candace Thomas, 30, in an Olney residence. They were charged with the June 12 theft and fraudulent use of the victim's credit card, police said. The victim was visiting a grave at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Cheltenham Township on a Sunday morning when the women stole her purse from her unlocked vehicle, police said.

Two Philadelphia women are in custody after stealing the purse of an 86-year-old woman who was visiting a grave in Montgomery County, then going on a $700 shopping spree, police said. Lauren Daniels, 25, and Candace Thomas, 30, were arrested Monday in the city's Olney section for the June 12 theft and fraudulent use of the victim's credit card, police said. The victim was visiting a grave at Holy Sepulchre Cemetary in Cheltenham Township that Sunday morning when the two women stole her purse from her unlocked vehicle, police said.

After walking more than 33 million steps - the pedometer doesn't lie - through 21 states, Troy Yocum arrived Friday morning at the bottom of the stairs made famous by Rocky. He wore an orange cape with "Hero at Large" printed on the back and held an American flag as he bounded up the Art Museum steps. At the top, he cheered with 30 of his supporters. "We made it," Yocum said of his climb. But as the Robert Frost poem says, Yokum has more promises to keep and more miles to go. In April 2010, Yokum, 31, of Louisville, Ky., started a 7,000-mile trek across the country to spread awareness about problems facing Iraq veterans and to raise money for military families in need.

MONTREAL - "To me, Montreal is eating, drinking, and shopping," summed up a Canadian friend before my first trip to the island city, where French is the official language but food is (unofficially) the language of love. Priorities ordered for me, I set my top objective for my weekend stay: to get to Montreal's hotter-than-ever restaurant Garde Manger to sample the lobster poutine, a variation on the artery-clogging Quebec staple consisting of french fries, cheese curds, and gravy. An episode of Iron Chef America , in which Garde Manger chef Chuck Hughes defeated Bobby Flay, had just aired in Canada; Hughes had rallied after the show's cohost, a Toronto native, admonished him for a defeatist attitude.

ROY OSWALT will either be traded to the Phillies, traded somewhere else, or not traded at all. The Houston's ace righthander is willing to waive his veto rights to come to rough, tough, Philadelphia. Or he has no intention of subjecting himself to big-market scrutiny. His $16 million option for 2012 either is, or isn't, an obstacle to a deal, depending on who you listen to. This is true, all true, cross our hearts and hope to die. Really, now, in the dwindling hours until the trading deadline there's so much mud being thrown at the wall that it's hard to keep it all straight.