A Twitter user from Jersey has apparently managed to track down the 15 suspects Philadelphia Police believe took part in a vicious gang-style assault of two gay men. The tweet came just a few short hours after Philly PD released surveillance footage of the suspects they described as “a group of fifteen white males and females in their early twenties, clean cut and well dressed.”



Police say the mob attacked a gay couple, a 26 and 28-year-old, on Thursday around 10:45 p.m, as they were walking to a pizza shop in Center City.

According to Gawker:



Someone in the group asked if the men were “boyfriends,” according to police, and made “disparaging remarks” about gay people before attacking the victims, kicking them in the head, chest and face. One of the men had to undergo surgery and have his jaw wired shut; the other suffered bone fractures and cuts to his face. As the group was fleeing the scene, one of them also stole a bag one of the victims had dropped on the ground.

Twitter user Greg Bennett, a former Real Housewives of New Jersey castmate, posted a photo of the ‘suspects’ posing for a group photo at La Viola, an Italian place in Center City:

A close-up of the group photo:



A side-by-side comparison photo showing the ‘La Viola group photo’ and a screenshot of CCTV footage released by Philly PD:



After Twitter users helped identify the restaurant as La Viola, they called Philly PD. Philadelphia police officer Joe Murray tweeted a shout-out to @FanSince09 for helping to crack the case:

S/O to @FanSince09 This is what makes my job easy. Sure, it's up to me to make the arrest but we are all in this together. — Joseph Murray (@PPDJoeMurray) September 17, 2014

This is how Twitter is supposed to work for cops. I will take a couple thousand Twitter detectives over any one real detective any day. — Joseph Murray (@PPDJoeMurray) September 17, 2014

Let's be clear here. No arrests made. Central Detectives have done a ton of work and have a lot more to do. (Not a law & order episode) — Joseph Murray (@PPDJoeMurray) September 17, 2014

Gawker notes:



Meanwhile, reporter Kenneth Moton at ABC 6 said at 11 p.m. that the news station had learned that some of the suspects — we don’t know how many — have already retained lawyers, who were calling the police to make “arrangements,” which sounds like a plan to surrender voluntarily, before warrants are issued for their arrest.

Here is a full breakdown of how Twitter users came together to help solve a Philly hate crime:



[H/T: Gawker]