WhatsNew2Day – Latest News And Breaking Headlines
A looter who livestreamed a mafia-style robbery spree in Philadelphia and encouraged others to join in, broke down in tears during her photoshoot.
Dayjia Blackwell cried after being charged with burglary, conspiracy, criminal trespass, riot, criminal mischief, criminal use of communications facility, receiving stolen property and disorderly conduct.
Blackwell’s anguish was broadcast online, contrasting with the carefree joy she conveyed in videos posted to social media – as dozens of stores trashed the downtown business district.
The 21-year-old social media personality, nicknamed ‘Meatball,’ told her 181,000 Instagram followers to join her as she excitedly ran down the street and visited several locations hit by thieves that night .
She filmed a crowd as they looted Apple, Lululemon and Footlocker, before heading to a liquor store where she herself bragged about grabbing a bottle of Hennessy.
Looter Dayjia Blackwell, who livestreamed a wave of looting in Philadelphia and encouraged others to join in, appeared distraught when police took her mugshot.
Dayjia Blackwell confidently live-streamed the crime spree in Center City Philadelphia last night, blissfully unaware that four hours later it would land her in handcuffs.
Blackwell was handcuffed in front of her friends, who remained in the car. She had less to say because she was taken away by the cops.
“Tell the police that if they lock me up tonight, it’s going to be lit, it’s going to be a movie!” Everyone must eat! » she said to the camera.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for Blackwell when she was finally stopped by cops while in her friend’s car just after midnight.
Still filming herself and the night’s events on an Instagram live stream, she tried to cope.
“We have nothing to do with this!” she protested, clearly forgetting the hours of footage she had so passionately collected and brazenly shared.
Blackwell joined dozens of people who are facing criminal charges after the social media-fueled chaos, in which groups apparently working together, forced their way into stores and stuffed bags with merchandise before fleeing, authorities said.
At least 52 arrests have been made so far and burglary, theft and other charges have been filed against at least 30 people.
All but three of those arrested were adults, according to Jane Roh, a spokeswoman for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.
The flash mob-style rampage Tuesday evening targeted dozens of stores, including Foot Locker, Lululemon and Apple.
The ruling followed a peaceful protest against a judge’s decision to dismiss murder and other charges against a Philadelphia police officer who fatally shot a driver, Eddie Irizarry, through a rolled-up window.
Those responsible for the looting were not affiliated with the protest, Acting Police Commissioner John Stanford said at a news conference, calling the group a “band of criminal opportunists.”
At least 18 state-run liquor stores were robbed, leading the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to close its 48 outlets in Philadelphia and one in suburban Cheltenham on Wednesday.
No employees were injured Tuesday evening, but “some were understandably shaken,” liquor company spokesman Shawn Kelly said.
The stores were “closed in the interest of employee safety and while we assess the damage and losses that have occurred,” Kelly said.
“We will reopen stores when it is safe to do so and the damage is repaired.”
Videos on social media showed masked people wearing hoodies running out of Lululemon with merchandise while police officers grabbed several and tackled them to the sidewalk.
Photos of a sporting goods store in a mall showed mannequins and sneakers strewn across the sidewalk.
The thefts and unrest spread from downtown to Northeast and West Philadelphia, leaving broken storefronts and shattered storefront coverings.
Police said seven cars were stolen from a Northeast parking lot. One of the cars was found Wednesday afternoon.
According to the North 22nd Street Business Corridor, a business group, six businesses located in a single North Philadelphia business corridor were looted, including three pharmacies, a hair salon, a tax preparation company and a store. mobile telephony.
Benjamin Nochum, pharmacist and store manager at Patriot Pharmacy, said this is the third time since 2020 his business has been hit.
“When looters steal from us, what they don’t seem to understand is that they are also stealing from our neighbors,” Nochum said in a statement.
“It makes you wonder how much longer you can last.”
People appear to have organized their efforts on social media, according to Stanford, the acting police commissioner.
Police are investigating “the possibility that there was a caravan made up of several different vehicles traveling from one location to another.”
A video posted to social media showed people shuffling out of their cars in a shopping center parking lot, appearing to shout directions to each other.
“This destructive and illegal behavior cannot and will not be tolerated in our city,” Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney said, calling it “a sickening display of opportunistic criminal activity.”
His administration is working with police to assess “which areas of the city might need increased coverage or additional resources,” he said.
The chaos in Philadelphia is reminiscent of similarly brazen thefts elsewhere, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area, where organized groups of thieves, some carrying crowbars and hammers, have systematically targeted high-end stores.
There were a large number of young people in Philadelphia’s downtown business district, called Center City, shortly before 8 p.m., and some police arrested a group of men “dressed in black clothing and wearing masks,” according to a police press release.
Around this time, reports and 911 calls were received regarding the Foot Locker store. When police arrived, they found it had been “ransacked in a coordinated attack,” the news release said.
Around 8:12 p.m., police responded to similar calls at Lululemon, where police threw a few suspects to the ground as people streamed out of the store.
The flash mob-style rampage Tuesday evening targeted dozens of stores, including Foot Locker, Lululemon and Apple.
A large number of people can be seen running towards the Lululemon store in this photo during the party.
Footage shared on social media shows a large group storming the city’s Apple store, attacking it in the process.
Some of the suspected thieves evaded police and fled, according to video posted on social media.
Soon after, calls directed police to the Apple Store, where thieves had forced their way in and made off with phones and tablets – then smashed them to the ground when they realized the devices were disabled and their alarms were going off, a video on social media showed. .
Some of the merchandise was recovered, according to a police press release.
The latest figures, through last Sunday, show there have been 302 homicides in the city so far this year.
There were also 402 reported rapes, 58,759 cases of property crimes, 3,701 cases of aggravated assault and 1,314 gunshot victims.
The increase in crime in Philadelphia is because homelessness and street drug use have become more prevalent.
Homeless people and drug addicts are often driven to commit theft to find ways to support themselves or to gather enough money to support their addictions.