Legal/Law/Criminal Justice and Reform

Multiple Arrests Made As Second Night Of Looting Erupts In Blue City

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Philadelphia police arrested another six people for looting over half a dozen businesses during a second night of riots Wednesday, according to the department.

The city was hit with riots Tuesday evening by a mob that trashed Fine Wine & Good Spirits liquor stores, Foot Locker, Apple Store, Lululemon and others. The looting and rioting continued Wednesday night, with the police arresting six individuals who committed burglaries at eight different stores in the northwest, east and northeast divisions of the city, a department spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The stores included an Auto Zone, Walgreens, two Family Dollars, and the sneaker store Fedi Way, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Another store hit by looters was Nat’s Beauty Supply, a local beauty parlor that opened a few months prior, and owner Claudia Silmeas said that she was “heartbroken” by the destruction, likely losing thousands of dollars of inventory.

“I don’t know what to do or who to call …. I’m heartbroken,” Silmeas said. “I was working six, seven days a week, mornings … nights, overnight so I could save up to open this store, and now this happened.”

Philadelphia has had 327 homicides so far this year, according to the department. In 2022, the city had 2,190 commercial burglaries and 3,713 residential break- ins.

Arrested for looting a liquor store in Philadelphia, Kenneth Frye,24, was out on bail in 2022 case that he was originally charged with 3rd degree murder. Eric Pope,41 seen on surveillance, dancing outside Philly nightclub Tabu. Frye working security, punched him In face, Pope died. pic.twitter.com/sur66WAFxF

— Steve Keeley (@KeeleyFox29) September 28, 2023

Police said that the rioting was not related to a peaceful protest held in the city after charges were dismissed for former police officer Mark Dial, who was accused of wrongfully shooting Eddie Irizarry. Acting Police Commissioner John Stanford said that rioters had used the protest as an opportunity to loot stores. “What we had tonight was a bunch of criminal opportunists. … These were not protesters, these were criminals,” Standford said.

All the Fine Wine & Good Spirits liquor stores in the area chose to close down Wednesday, but 18 of the stores were hit that evening and some plan to reopen Thursday, according to the Inquirer. Philadelphia police said that they arrested 52 individuals Tuesday following the riots, including an influencer named Dayjia Blackwell, also known by the name “Meatball,” who was livestreaming the looting and could be heard cheering and laughing in the background.