Delaware County Woman Sentenced For Carjacking, Shooting At Victim, And Fleeing With Infant In Stolen SUV

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia released the information below:

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Phillis Fugah, 25, of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Timothy J. Savage to ten years and one day in prison and five years of supervised release for carjacking and discharging a firearm during a violent crime.

The defendant previously pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in connection with an August 29, 2024 armed carjacking and shooting in Upper Darby.

As detailed in court filings and admitted by the defendant, Fugah and a male accomplice approached a Honda Pilot parked on the 7100 block of West Chester Pike, where a man sat in the vehicle with his two young children while waiting for his wife. The accomplice opened the passenger-side door but fled the scene.

Fugah then opened the driver’s side door, got behind the wheel, and pointed a gun at the victim while demanding money. The victim’s five-year-old son exited the vehicle through the front passenger door and ran to the sidewalk. The victim exited the rear driver’s side door and attempted to stop the defendant, telling her that his infant child remained inside the vehicle.

During the struggle, Fugah raised the firearm and shot at the victim, with the bullet partially shattering the driver’s-side window and striking the victim’s baseball cap, narrowly missing his head. A fragment of the bullet also struck the window of an occupied SEPTA bus across the street, passing over the heads of several passengers.

Fugah then fled in the Honda Pilot with the infant still inside the vehicle. The SUV was located a short distance away, and the child was recovered unharmed.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Newtown Square Resident Agency and the Upper Darby Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Doherty and Special Assistant United States Attorney Sandra Urban.                                                                                 

My Philly Daily Crime Beat Column: Carjacker Sentenced To Prison For Two Armed Carjackings Days Apart

Philly Daily ran my Crime Beat column on carjacking today. 

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

Davis: Carjacker sentenced to prison for two armed carjackings days apart - Philly Daily  

 When one is young, one often sows the proverbial wild oats.  

When I was 20-years-old back in the summer of 1972, I was attending Penn State at the main campus in State College, Pennsylvania on a special program for Vietnam veterans. I was the youngest of the group of vets, having previously served as a teenager on the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk during the Vietnam War. 

I had a wild time in the Navy and afterwards my time attending classes during the day and partying at night at Penn State was another adventure. 

Richard Pridgen embarked on a different kind of adventure at 20. He became an armed carjacker. 

On February 5, 2026, David Metcalf, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, announced that Richard Pridgen of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 214 months’ imprisonment, five years’ supervised release, and $11,709.82 in restitution for committing two carjackings in the city just days apart.

Pridgen pleaded guilty in October of 2025 to two counts of carjacking and two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the first carjacking was on July 3, 2023, when Pridgen carjacked a victim who had been sitting in his parked blue Jeep, at gunpoint. Pridgen had at least one co-conspirator who drove him there in a separate vehicle.

“Then, on July 6, 2023, Pridgen and two co-defendants, Raheem Bivens and Raheim Brown, used the first victim’s blue Jeep to carjack a second victim of his white Jeep. Both Pridgen and Bivens pointed firearms with extended magazines at the victim, demanding the car and keys. Pridgen and Bivens then fled in the second victim’s white Jeep, with Bivens behind the wheel,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated. “Philadelphia police located both Jeeps quickly and pursued all three men. Bivens crashed the white Jeep into several other cars, and Brown, who was driving the blue Jeep, crashed into another car. All the men ran, but all were apprehended, and police recovered both guns. Pridgen had the second victim’s identification on him when he was apprehended.

“Pridgen carried out these carjackings right after his release from juvenile state custody for committing several violent gunpoint commercial robberies in 2021.”

Both Bivens and Brown pleaded guilty in 2024 to one count of carjacking and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. They were each sentenced to 14 years in prison and five years of supervised release, with Bivens also ordered to pay $11,709.82 in restitution.

This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Shulman and Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Bowerman.

A while back the Philadelphia Police Department released a guide to help people avoid becoming carjacking victims. 

Below are some key tips provided by the police to enhance safety and prevent carjacking:

·         Be aware of your surroundings: Know where you are, who is near you, and who is approaching you. If you feel uncomfortable or notice an unwelcome stranger approaching your vehicle, leave the area.

·         Enter and exit your vehicle swiftly: Always enter your vehicle swiftly and without hesitation. Park your car in well-lit areas and avoid parking near walls, bushes, or dumpsters.

·         Keep your vehicle locked: Always keep your vehicle locked and windows shut. Avoid taking streets with frequent stops and intersections.

·         Use anti-theft devices: Consider using anti-theft devices like a steering wheel lock or a gearshift column lock to deter thieves.

·         Keep your valuables hidden: Use anti-theft devices like a steering wheel lock or a gearshift column lock to deter thieves.

·         Avoid being alone in high-crime neighborhoods: Don't sit in your car with the door unlocked or the windows rolled down in high-crime neighborhoods and isolated roads.

·         Know your vehicle identification (VIN) number: This will assist the police in recovering your car if it is stolen.

·         Give up your car immediately: If you are approached by a carjacker, give up your car and leave the scene. Avoid verbal or physical confrontations with the carjacker.

·         Let the carjacker know if there’s a child onboard: If there’s a child in the vehicle, make that clear to the carjacker so they don’t drive away with the child.
These tips are designed to help residents stay safe and reduce the risk of becoming a carjacking victim. 

·          

Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here each week. He is also a contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached at pauldavisoncrime.com.

Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty To Murder In A Case Involving Two Carjackings Of Food Delivery Drivers

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, released the below information.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that John Nusslein, 19, of Philadelphia, PA, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit carjacking, one count of carjacking resulting in death, and one count of carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury.

Nusslein was charged by indictment in June 2022 with these offenses, in connection with a series of carjackings of food delivery drivers in Northeast Philadelphia during November and December of 2021.

According to the indictment, the defendant and others committed two carjackings during the course of the conspiracy that took place between November 29, 2021, and December 29, 2021. The incidents detailed are as follows:

• On December 2, 2021, Nusslein and two others placed a food delivery order to an address on the 3000 block of Teesdale Street in Philadelphia, as a ruse to lure their intended victim to that location. At approximately 7:00 p.m., when C.C., a food delivery driver, arrived at that location, Nusslein, Person 1, and Person 2 approached C.C. and struck him repeatedly to facilitate the taking of C.C.’s vehicle, a 2004 Toyota Camry. Nusslein, Person 1, and Person 2 then fled the area in C.C.’s stolen Toyota Camry. C.C. was later taken to the hospital by first responders. On December 21, 2021, C.C. succumbed to his injuries and the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the cause of death was the assault that C.C. sustained during the carjacking.
• On December 16, 2021, Nusslein and Person 1 placed a food delivery order to an address on the 9000 block of Hilspach Street in Philadelphia, as a ruse to lure their intended victim to that location. At approximately 9:10 p.m., when W.Z., a food delivery driver, arrived at that location, Nusslein and Person 1 approached W.Z., pointed a firearm at him, demanded his money, and struck him to facilitate the taking of W.Z.’s vehicle, a 2015 Infiniti QX5. Nusslein and Person 1 then fled the area in W.Z.’s stolen Infiniti QX5.

“The fact that these carjackers specifically lured two innocent people trying to make a living is despicable,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “That Nusslein and the others so brutally beat one driver that his injuries proved fatal is horrific. We and our partners on the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force simply won’t permit violent offenders like Nusslein to victimize people with impunity. They will be prosecuted, and they will go to prison for a very long time.”

“Carjacking is a serious federal crime with lengthy prison sentences. This case also demonstrates that carjacking is a deadly dangerous crime,” said Eric J. DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Philadelphia Field Division. “ATF Philadelphia Field Division is working diligently with our partners in the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force, sharing the ATF’s unique forensic and investigative tools to ensure justice for the victims and to make our communities safer through federal prosecution.”

“This case is a tragic reminder that carjackings can have deadly consequences,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. “The senseless assault on these food delivery drivers is appalling and unacceptable. I commend the outstanding collaboration between the Philadelphia Police Department, the ATF, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for their work in bringing this case to justice. Our carjacking task force remains vigilant in investigating these crimes and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety of Philadelphians.”

Nusslein is set to be sentenced on July 31, 2024, before United States District Court Judge John M. Younge, and faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren E. Stram and Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert.

My Crime Beat Column: Take Steps To Avoid The Violent Crime Of Carjacking

Carjacking is on the rise in Philadelphia and across the country, often with deadly results.

Back in 2010, I wrote a Crime Beat column on carjacking for small business owners, but the information and crime prevention tips apply to all, and still apply today.

You can read my column below:

Carjacking is a crime that can end not only in the destruction of property, but also injury or loss of life. Here are things you can do to protect yourself from would-be carjackers.

For many small business owners, a car is as essential a tool as a computer.

In past columns, I’ve covered how car thieves can strip a parked car of its parts in less than five minutes, and I interviewed a police captain about thieves who break into parked cars and steal valuables.

In this column, I’d like to cover carjacking, which is a far greater crime as it involves an armed criminal and often the victim is terrorized, hurt or killed.

One story that illustrates the violent nature of carjacking occurred on Galveston Island in Texas last week. According to reports of the incident, a woman was sitting in the passenger side of an idling car when a man armed with an ax stepped into the driver’s seat and took off. The man would not let the woman out of the car, and he threatened to kill her with the ax.

This story might have ended in tragedy had the carjacker not crashed into another car. As a result of the crash, the carjacker was trapped in the car. Local firefighters pulled the man out. Local police officers arrested him. The woman was unharmed.

In Atlantic City back in May, another victim of carjacking was not so fortunate.

The family of Martin Caballero, 47, pleaded with the public to help find their loved one after Caballero disappeared on May 21st from the Trump Taj Mahal casino parking lot just minutes just minutes after arriving. He traveled to Atlantic City to help celebrate his daughter’s birthday.

According to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office on June 3rd, Jessica Kisby, 24, and Craig Arno, 44, were charged with murder after a body discovered in a farmer’s field was identified as Caballero. According to the Atlantic County Medical Examiner, the cause of death was multiple stab wounds to the chest.

A day earlier the Atlantic County Prosecutor Ted Housel charged Kisby and Arno with the carjacking and kidnapping of Caballero. Housel stated he believed the victim did not know his attackers. The carjacking was a random crime.

Police officers and security experts say carjacking is preventable if one stays alert to their surroundings and follows the below security steps:

• When stopped for a traffic light or other reasons, carefully observe what is happening around your car, via your side and rearview mirrors. Keep your windows up and doors locked.
• Keep your purse, laptop, and other valuables out of view while driving.
• Drive in the center lane to avoid being pushed over to the shoulder.
• Don’t stop at isolated cash machines or other isolated areas.
• Don’t stop to help a disabled motorist or pedestrian. Stay in your locked car and offer to call a service station or the police from your cell phone.
• Don’t open your window for someone approaching your car asking for directions or trying to sell you something.
• Don’t park your car in an isolated area.
• If you are pulled over by someone in an unmarked car who claims to be a police officer, stay in your locked car and call 911 on your cell phone. Tell the person you are calling 911 to confirm they are in fact a police officer. If the person is truly a police officer, he won’t have a problem with your actions, and if he is not a police officer, he will take off to avoid arrest.
• If you can’t drive away from a bad situation, stay in your locked car and yell and honk your horn repeatedly. Criminals don’t like noise and they tend to run away to avoid attention.
• Below are some of the most common carjacking scenarios:

• When the victim is stopped at a traffic light.
• The carjacker pretends to be stranded.
• The carjacker fakes an accident to get you out of your car.
• The carjacker attacks the victim as they get in their car in parking garages, shopping malls and complex parking, and driveways.     

The best defense against a carjacking is having more than one person in the car. Another essential defensive tool is a working cell phone with a charger.

I bought my wife and daughter a large, heavy, tactical flashlight, which they keep beside the driver’s seat in their cars. It is good to have a working flashlight in the car if you need light, and the flashlight doubles as a club if you need to slam it on the hand of someone reaching into your car to harm you.

Businesspeople out on the road can be distracted with thoughts of business, but one should always remain alert and aware of the surroundings. 

This is the best defense against carjacking. 

Police Offer Tips On How To Avoid Being Carjacked

 Broad and Liberty posted my piece on police tips on avoiding being carjacked.

You can read my piece via the below link or the below text:

Paul Davis: Police offer tips on how to avoid being carjacked (broadandliberty.com)

An ambitious crew of armed carjackers took three different cars in three different locations from three different victims in less than an hour in Philadelphia early in the morning on January 27th. 

Over the many years of my covering the cops, I’ve witnessed some quick and bold crimes while out on ride-alongs with Philadelphia police officers, but this must be a dubious record of some kind. 

Thankfully, no one was injured, although no doubt the victims were traumatized by having their cars stolen by desperate gun-wielding criminals.  

The carjacking crew remains at large, and they are considered armed and dangerous. 

“We know these are definitely the same people,” Philadelphia Police Captain John Ryan told reporters. “It’s the same getaway car. It’s like a blue Honda CRV that we believe was stolen.”

I interviewed Captain John Ryan, the commanding officer of the Major Crimes Division, a few years ago. He noted that carjacking was a city-wide issue.

“Carjacking is a shocking crime, and the elderly victims often suffer heart attacks and other injuries that are a result of being mishandled during the crime.”

Captain Ryan suggests that to avoid becoming a carjacking victim, one should always be aware of your surroundings. 

“Know where you are, who is near you, and who is approaching you,” Captain Ryan said. 

Police officers say carjackings can be avoided by taking a series of crime prevention steps.

Below are some tips the police offer:

To avoid becoming a carjacking victim, one should be alert and not distracted or deep in thought. 

Listen to your instincts If you feel uncomfortable or notice an unwelcome stranger approaching your vehicle, leave the area. 

Always enter your vehicle swiftly and without hesitation. 

Park your car in well-lit areas. 

Don’t park near walls, bushes, or dumpsters. 

Drive with your windows locked. 

Avoid taking streets with frequent stops and intersections.

Keep some space between your car and the car ahead of you when stopped for a red light or stop sign, so you can maneuver around it if need be. 

Think twice before helping a stranded motorist. Carjackers sometimes use a ruse to trap victims.

Know your vehicle identification (VIN) number, which will assist the police in recovering your car. 

If another vehicle bumps into your car or truck, find a safe, well-lit place with other people around to stop. Don’t immediately get out of your vehicle.

Keep your doors locked and windows shut.

Hide your valuables in the car. 

Use of anti-theft devices like a steering wheel lock or a gearshift column lock.

Always have your cell phone handy and charged.

Avoid being alone in your car in high-crime neighborhoods and isolated roads. 

Don’t sit in your car with the door unlocked or the windows rolled down. 

Don’t park and use isolated ATMs.

One police tip that I would not recommend is tossing your car keys far away when confronted by armed carjackers. In my experience, armed robbers are short on patience and quick to anger, so throwing your car keys into a bush might very well get you shot.

I have a license to carry a firearm and I am usually armed. I’m military trained and experienced, but I would never recommend that a potential carjacking victim initiate a shootout with armed carjackers. 

There have been cases where an armed potential victim shot the would-be carjackers and thwarted the robbery. But conversely, there have also been cases where the car owner was shot and killed.

Carjackers usually have their guns out and ready to fire, so they have the drop on the car owner, whose firearm is probably still in its holster under a jacket and shirt.  

Refusing to be a victim and offering armed resistance to a couple of armed carjackers is a personal risk that one should consider carefully – and quickly. If alone, one might surely be tempted to defend oneself and property, but if one were with their family, the risk of them being harmed might make one rethink their immediate reaction. Insurance, after all, will cover the loss of the car. 

A friend of mine was carjacked while waiting to pick up his daughter from work late one evening. He was armed and briefly considered going all “Dodge City,” as he put it, with the two carjackers. But he thought of his daughter, who might have come outside just as the bullets were flying, so he handed over his car keys to the carjackers. 

“You can always buy more stuff,” Captain Ryan told me. “You can’t buy more you.”  

Paul Davis, a Philadelphia writer and frequent contributor to Broad + Liberty, also contributes to Counterterrorism magazine and writes the “On Crime” column for the Washington Times. He can be reached at pauldavisoncrime.com.

My Crime Beat Column: Take Steps To Avoid The Violent Crime Of Carjacking

A Texas Congressman was recently the victim of carjacking in Washington D.C.

Carjacking is on the rise in Philadelphia and across the country, often with deadly results.

Back in 2010, I wrote a Crime Beat column on carjacking for small business owners, but the information and crime prevention tips apply to all, and still apply today.

You can read my column below:

Carjacking is a crime that can end not only in the destruction of property, but also injury or loss of life. Here are things you can do to protect yourself from would-be carjackers.

For many small business owners, a car is as essential a tool as a computer.

In past columns, I’ve covered how car thieves can strip a parked car of its parts in less than five minutes, and I interviewed a police captain about thieves who break into parked cars and steal valuables.

In this column, I’d like to cover carjacking, which is a far greater crime as it involves an armed criminal and often the victim is terrorized, hurt or killed.

One story that illustrates the violent nature of carjacking occurred on Galveston Island in Texas last week. According to reports of the incident, a woman was sitting in the passenger side of an idling car when a man armed with an ax stepped into the driver’s seat and took off. The man would not let the woman out of the car, and he threatened to kill her with the ax.

This story might have ended in tragedy had the carjacker not crashed into another car. As a result of the crash, the carjacker was trapped in the car. Local firefighters pulled the man out. Local police officers arrested him. The woman was unharmed.

In Atlantic City back in May, another victim of carjacking was not so fortunate.

The family of Martin Caballero, 47, pleaded with the public to help find their loved one after Caballero disappeared on May 21st from the Trump Taj Mahal casino parking lot just minutes just minutes after arriving. He traveled to Atlantic City to help celebrate his daughter’s birthday.

According to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office on June 3rd, Jessica Kisby, 24, and Craig Arno, 44, were charged with murder after a body discovered in a farmer’s field was identified as Caballero. According to the Atlantic County Medical Examiner, the cause of death was multiple stab wounds to the chest.

A day earlier the Atlantic County Prosecutor Ted Housel charged Kisby and Arno with the carjacking and kidnapping of Caballero. Housel stated he believed the victim did not know his attackers. The carjacking was a random crime.

Police officers and security experts say carjacking is preventable if one stays alert to their surroundings and follows the below security steps:

• When stopped for a traffic light or other reasons, carefully observe what is happening around your car, via your side and rearview mirrors. Keep your windows up and doors locked.
• Keep your purse, laptop, and other valuables out of view while driving.
• Drive in the center lane to avoid being pushed over to the shoulder.
• Don’t stop at isolated cash machines or other isolated areas.
• Don’t stop to help a disabled motorist or pedestrian. Stay in your locked car and offer to call a service station or the police from your cell phone.
• Don’t open your window for someone approaching your car asking for directions or trying to sell you something.
• Don’t park your car in an isolated area.
• If you are pulled over by someone in an unmarked car who claims to be a police officer, stay in your locked car and call 911 on your cell phone. Tell the person you are calling 911 to confirm they are in fact a police officer. If the person is truly a police officer, he won’t have a problem with your actions, and if he is not a police officer, he will take off to avoid arrest.
• If you can’t drive away from a bad situation, stay in your locked car and yell and honk your horn repeatedly. Criminals don’t like noise and they tend to run away to avoid attention.
• Below are some of the most common carjacking scenarios:

• When the victim is stopped at a traffic light.
• The carjacker pretends to be stranded.
• The carjacker fakes an accident to get you out of your car.
• The carjacker attacks the victim as they get in their car in parking garages, shopping malls and complex parking, and driveways.     

The best defense against a carjacking is having more than one person in the car. Another essential defensive tool is a working cell phone with a charger.

I bought my wife and daughter a large, heavy, tactical flashlight, which they keep beside the driver’s seat in their cars. It is good to have a working flashlight in the car if you need light, and the flashlight doubles as a club if you need to slam it on the hand of someone reaching into your car to harm you.

Businesspeople out on the road can be distracted with thoughts of business, but one should always remain alert and aware of the surroundings. This is the best defense against carjacking. 

A Veteran Police Sergeant Offers Tips On How To Avoid Being Carjacked

Broad + Liberty published my piece on carjacking. 

You can read the piece via the below link or the below text:

Paul Davis: A veteran police sergeant offers tips on how to avoid being carjacked (broadandliberty.com)

A friend of mine was recently carjacked. 

He was parked on a corner waiting to pick up his daughter from her workplace late one evening when he saw two armed young men come up swiftly, one on each side of his car.

My friend is a genuine South Philly tough guy, and under other circumstances, he would have fought back. He has a license to carry, and his firearm was in a holster on his hip, but he thought better of it. He told me that he didn’t know if his daughter was at that moment walking out of her workplace, and he didn’t want her to get hurt in a crossfire.

He got out of his car and handed over his car keys.

Sadly, carjackings happen too often in Philadelphia.

I reached out to Gary Capuano, a retired Philadelphia Police sergeant, and asked him if he had any experiences with carjackings during his time as a cop, and if he had any tips on how to avoid becoming a carjacking victim.  

“I had direct contact with an eighteen-year-old carjacker back in 2003,” Capuano recalled. “I was working plainclothes and detailed to finding the criminal who at the time was exposing his genitalia to the St. Maria Goretti High School girls. My partner and I heard the carjacking radio call and we proceeded into the area where it took place and actually stumbled upon the suspect and his new set of wheels sitting at a red light.” 

The carjacker immediately made Capuano and his partner as police officers, and he took off. The plainclothes officers pursued him, announcing the pursuit over their police radio. Capuano and his partner apprehended the suspect on the Expressway just past the Penrose Avenue exit. The carjacker smashed into the divider wall, ran from the vehicle, and went up and over the wall into oncoming traffic with Capuano in pursuit. 

“He couldn’t get over a chain link fence which was topped with razor wire that allowed me to close the gap between us. I injured my knee and was out of work for some time, eventually needing surgery. He pled guilty and served some time,” Capuano said. “Six days after the carjacking, Goretti girls spotted the flasher and gave chase. They caught him and held him until police arrived.” 

To avoid being carjacked, Capuano said that drivers should be aware of their surroundings at all times and keep an eye out for people who appear to be hanging about with no clear purpose.

“Try to park in a well-lit area. Take a friend or relative with you while driving and always leave enough space between your car and the one in front of you,” Capuano advised. “This gives you some wiggle room in case you have to maneuver your way out of a bad situation. If you need to use an ATM, try to do so during the day including gassing up your vehicle. After food shopping, don’t become distracted and side-tracked and worried about loading your vehicle. Keep your eyes open. These criminals know just when to strike. It only takes seconds.” 

Capuano said that when leaving a casino stay vigilant, especially if you happen to be going home a winner. 

“Many a person has been followed out of a casino and into the parking lots, where they are robbed, assaulted and carjacked. There are also numerous incidents where people are followed home and then assaulted, robbed and carjacked.” 

Capuno also suggests that if you happen to become a victim in a carjacking, don’t fight back. Give them your car. You can replace your car, but your family can’t replace you. 

“If you see someone who appears to be broken-down on a street, continue on and call 911,” Capuano said. “Don’t be a Good Samaritan. Your calling 911 to get them help is sufficient. If your vehicle is struck and bumped from behind, call 911 immediately and give them any information you have on the striking vehicle. Stay on the phone with the 911 operator and give them your location as you drive on.” 

Capuano suggested that you drive to a well-lit spot or if you happen to know where the nearest police station is located, drive there. These are some of the ruses that some criminals use to get their next victim. 

“It is sad what our society has become. We can argue what has caused this, but in my opinion, the breakdown of the family as well as criminals not being held accountable for their actions are the main two reasons,” Capuno said. “We have to think like a criminal and be on guard 24/7.” 

Paul Davis, a Philadelphia writer and frequent contributor to Broad + Liberty, also contributes to Counterterrorism magazine and writes the On Crime column for the Washington Times. He can be reached via www.pauldavisoncrime.com.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner's All In: My Philadelphia Weekly Crime Beat Column On The Police Response To The Rise In Carjacking

Philadelphia Weekly published my Crime Beat column on Philadelphia Police Commissioner Outlaw's efforts to curb the rise of violent carjacking.

You can read the column via the below link or the below pages:

Police Commissioner’s All In With Curbing Carjacking - Philadelphia Weekly 

You can click on the above and below to enlarge.

My On Crime & Security Column: Take Steps To Avoid The Violent Crime Of Carjacking

With carjacking on the rise in Philadelphia, Police Commissioner Outlaw has announced that she is committing additional resources to curb the trend of the violent crime.

Back in 2010, I wrote a column on carjacking for small business owners, but the information and crime prevention tips apply to all.

You can read my column below:

Carjacking is a crime that can end not only in the destruction of property, but also injury or loss of life. Here are things you can do to protect yourself from would-be carjackers.

For many small business owners, a car is as essential a tool as a computer.

In past columns, I’ve covered how car thieves can strip a parked car of its parts in less than five minutes, and I interviewed a police captain about thieves who break into parked cars and steal valuables.

In this column, I’d like to cover carjacking, which is a far greater crime as it involves an armed criminal and often the victim is terrorized, hurt or killed.

One story that illustrates the violent nature of carjacking occurred on Galveston Island in Texas last week. According to reports of the incident, a woman was sitting in the passenger side of an idling car when a man armed with an ax stepped into the driver’s seat and took off. The man would not let the woman out of the car and he threatened to kill her with the ax.

This story might have ended in tragedy had the carjacker not crashed into another car. As a result of the crash, the carjacker was trapped in the car. Local firefighters pulled the man out. Local police officers arrested him. The woman was unharmed.

In Atlantic City back in May, another victim of carjacking was not so fortunate.

The family of Martin Caballero, 47, pleaded with the public to help find their loved one after Caballero disappeared on May 21st from the Trump Taj Mahal casino parking lot just minutes just minutes after arriving. He traveled to Atlantic City to help celebrate his daughter’s birthday.

According to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office on June 3rd, Jessica Kisby, 24, and Craig Arno, 44, were charged with murder after a body discovered in a farmer’s field was identified as Caballero. According to the Atlantic County Medical Examiner, the cause of death was multiple stab wounds to the chest.

A day earlier the Atlantic County Prosecutor Ted Housel charged Kisby and Arno with the carjacking and kidnapping of Caballero. Housel stated he believed the victim did not know his attackers. The carjacking was a random crime.

Police officers and security experts say carjacking is preventable if one stays alert to their surroundings and follows the below security steps:

• When stopped for a traffic light or other reasons, carefully observe what is happening around your car, via your side and rearview mirrors. Keep your windows up and doors locked.
• Keep your purse, laptop, and other valuables out of view while driving.
• Drive in the center lane to avoid being pushed over to the shoulder.
• Don’t stop at isolated cash machines or other isolated areas.
• Don’t stop to help a disabled motorist or pedestrian. Stay in your locked car and offer to call a service station or the police from your cell phone.
• Don’t open your window for someone approaching your car asking for directions or trying to sell your something.
• Don’t park your car in an isolated area.
• If you are pulled over by someone in an unmarked car who claims to be a police officer, stay in your locked car and call 911 on your cell phone. Tell the person you are calling 911 to confirm they are in fact a police officer. If the person is truly a police officer, he won’t have a problem with your actions, and if he is not a police officer, he will take off to avoid arrest.
• If you can’t drive away from a bad situation, stay in your locked car and yell and honk your horn repeatedly. Criminals don’t like noise and they tend to run away to avoid attention.
• Below are some of the most common carjacking scenarios:

• When the victim is stopped at a traffic light.
• The carjacker pretends to be stranded.
• The carjacker fakes an accident to get you out of your car.
• The carjacker attacks the victim as they get in their car in parking garages, shopping malls and complex parking, and driveways.     

The best defense against a carjacking is having more than one person in the car. Another essential defensive tool is a working cell phone with a charger.

I bought my wife and daughter a large, heavy, tactical flashlight, which they keep beside the driver’s seat in their cars. It is good to have a working flashlight in the car if you need light, and the flashlight doubles as a club if you need to slam it on the hand of someone reaching into your car to harm you.

Business people out on the road can be distracted with thoughts of business, but one should always remain alert and aware of the surroundings. This is the best defense against carjacking.