Jury convicts man for attempting to carjack teen girl in 2022 in Northeast Philadelphia, other suspects on the loose
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A jury convicted a man who allegedly tried to carjack a teen girl in 2022, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Monday.
Deandrade Jeferson, 20, was convicted of robbery, conspiracy, possession of an instrument of a crime and a firearms charge for his role in an attempted carjacking in Northeast Philadelphia in February 2022, the DA's office said.
Jeferson and two others, who remain at large, allegedly approached a teenage girl's car, tapped a gun on her window and shot one bullet into the car, striking the door. The victim and her two passengers were able to flee in the car, according to the DA.
Jeferson was arrested in June 2022, the DA's office said. Investigators believe he and the other suspects were also behind other carjacking incidents targeting people of Brazilian descent because of the possibility that the victims could be undocumented, the DA's office said.
In a statement, Krasner said the case is "emblematic" of the fact that some criminals take advantage of people who are undocumented.
"While the victim in this case does have U.S. citizenship, this is not always so in these cases. I want all immigrant communities to know that we want to hear from you if you've been the victim of a crime. You should not have to live in fear," he said in the statement.
Assistant District Attorney Kenzie Johnson used testimony from the survivor and forensic evidence, including a handprint on the car door, in the case, according to the DA's office said.
Jeferson will be sentenced on Aug. 9.