Violent crime wave? What violent crime wave?
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Penn.) was walking back to her car at 2:45 p.m. after a meeting in FDR Park in Philadelphia when she was approached by two males who demanded the keys to her SUV at gunpoint.
Scanlon gave them the keys without incident, and the two drove away. Reports this morning indicate that the SUV was recovered in Delaware and four teens and a male adult were in custody.
The carjackers were kids: a 15-year-old male was charged with resisting arrest and receiving stolen property, while the remaining juveniles — ages 13, 14, and 16 — each faces a charge for receiving stolen property over $1,500.
The one adult was 19 and will be charged by federal authorities.
The mayor, Jim Kenney, seems as clueless as any other Democratic mayor.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe in our city, and sadly, as we know, that hasn’t always been the case this year. It’s disheartening, and quite frankly infuriating, that criminals feel emboldened to commit such a reckless crime in the middle of the day in what should be a place of tranquility and peace—one of Philadelphia’s beautiful parks,” Kenney said. “I’m thankful that she was not physically harmed during this incident, and my thoughts are with her during what I’m sure is a traumatic time.”
Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson said, “It don’t matter who the individual is that’s even robbed or shot or murdered in the City of Philadelphia, it should be a priority.”
Philly’s Soros-created DA Larry Krasner said in a statement that he was “extremely grateful that Congresswoman Scanlan and an aide who was accompanying her were not physically harmed today. My office will be offering them the services and support we provide to victims of frightening and traumatic crimes.”
Related: Democrats Say the Darnedest Things When It Comes to Crime
Anthony Giordano, the founder of Stand Up South Philly, said that crime in Philadelphia is “100 percent out of control.”
“The congresswoman, unfortunately, had to deal with what everyday citizens are dealing with right now,” Giordano said. “Maybe it’s going to take the fact that a congresswoman was carjacked in Philadelphia to raise awareness that crime in Philadelphia is 100% out of control. If you believe, in the City of Philadelphia we don’t have a crime problem, you have to live under a rock.”
Obviously, the bangers couldn’t have known who they were jacking a car from. They found out soon enough, however. The car was found about six hours later across the river in Delaware. Once they realized whose vehicle it was, they dumped it quickly.
But the fact that the thieves felt comfortable enough to strike in the middle of the day in a well-trafficked area in a major U.S. city should chill the bones of all of us.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member