In a polarizing move, the City of Philadelphia announced on Tuesday (March 17) that they've suspended arrests for a handful of non-violent crimes. The decision comes as a response to the coronavirus mandates that have been implemented over the last few days nationwide. The City of Brotherly Love issued a formal statement and listed what crimes will now be exempt from arrest, however, just because an offender isn't taken into custody during this COVID-19 lockdown doesn't mean a warrant won't be issued in the future.
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The statements reads: "Arrests for certain non-violent offenses will be made pursuant to an Arrest Warrant, which will be served at a later date. This means that a person who would ordinarily be arrested and processed at a detective division, will now be temporarily detained for the purpose of confirming identity, as well as completion of required paperwork. At a later date, that person will be arrested pursuant to an Arrest Warrant."
The crimes that get a temporary pass include narcotics, theft from persons, theft from auto, retail theft, burglary, vandalism, stolen auto, all bench warrants, economic crimes, and prostitution. Unsurprisingly, this decision has caused some Philadelphia citizens to panic, while residents of major cities across the United States worry that their police departments will follow suit. Do you think this is a wise move?
Man Tricks Woman He Met On Dating App Into Helping Him Rob A Bank
Christopher Castillo made a woman he met on a dating app into into an unwilling accomplice in a robbery after he tricked her into driving the getaway car.
A man named Christopher Castillo used a dating app to assist him in carrying out a bank robbery, as he got one of his matches to unknowingly drive the getaway car after she innocently took him to the bank in question. As The Sun Chronicle reports, back in 2016, Castillo matched with a woman named Shelby Sampson on an unnamed dating app. For their first date, she picked him up from his parents’ house in Chepachet, Rhode Island and drove 30 minutes toward North Attleborough, Massachusetts. As they entered her neighbourhood of Attleboro Falls, Castillo asked Sampson to pull the car over to Bristol County Savings Bank, where he got out. Sampson didn’t realize what was happening until Castillo ran back to the vehicle sweating, carrying a hat, sunglasses, a gun and $1,000 and told Sampson to “F*cking go!” She initially sped away from the scene, but pulled over and stepped away from her vehicle when she noticed police trailing behind them.
Castillo was sentenced to three years in state prison after pleading guilty to armed robbery earlier this week. He was also sentenced to an additional two years in jail for assaulting the three police officers who arrested him. During the incident, when police pulled him out of the car, Castillo struggled with police officers and even spit at them. Sampson was initially charged with being an accessory after the fact, but the prosecution dropped the charges after she explained the situation. Hopefully she has better luck with dating apps next time.
Pop Smoke Calls Theft Allegations "Cap": "We Can’t Afford To F*ck Up"
It’s all lies, according to the rapper.
People were perplexed when news broke that Pop Smoke had been arrested for allegedly stealing a vehicle. In January, the New York City rapper was reportedly taken into custody at the airport as he was making his way to the City of Lights for Paris Fashion Week. Federal agents claim that the rapper borrowed a Rolls-Royce Wraith for a music video in November 2019. The owner of the car, in turn, would receive VIP treatment at one of Pop Smoke’s concerts, but according to authorities, the owner claims he never received his car back. It was finally tracked down in Arizona.
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Pop Smoke recently sat down with Angie Martinez at Hot 97 to talk about his latest release, Meet the Woo 2. While there, Angie asked about the rapper’s recent run-in with the law. “Foolishness. I’ll tell you later,” the rapper said. “But just know… You know, it’s cap. We gon’ keep it like that.” He may not have said much about the ongoing investigation, but Pop Smoke did have a few words of wisdom for other young men such as himself who are making money in the industry.
“I’m a give a message to my young n*ggas,” he began. “N*ggas like us, coming where we come from, we can’t afford to f*ck up. We can’t afford to slip up. Make no mistakes, you heard, because they watchin’ and they want us to. We got all odds against us. And fake n*ggas be winnin’ sometimes. So, if you wanna succeed, you can’t f*ck up. You ain’t got no space for it. You can’t afford it.” Watch his full interview below.
Allen Iverson’s $500K Worth Of Jewelry Returned After Thief Turns Himself In To Police
The suspect confessed to the crime.
Just over 24 hours since former Philadelphia 76ers star Allen Iverson reportedly had a half a million dollars worth of jewelry taken from him, a suspect is in custody. It was reported by multiple news outlets that Iverson was the victim of a high-priced theft after someone described as being an early twenties, tall, thin-built man walked off with Iverson's backpack that was filled with his jewelry.
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A friend of Iverson's reportedly left the bag sitting in a chair inside of the lobby of the Sofitel Hotel. Surveillance footage shows someone walking up to the chair before he grabs the bag and calmly walks out. Philadelphia's ABC 6 Action News reports that the thief, 21-year-old Christopher Daniel, turned himself in to police on Tuesday. An image taken from a surveillance video circulated quickly through social media so it appears and Daniel decided to surrender himself and spare the further embarrassment of an online frenzy.
Daniel reportedly confessed to the police that he did, indeed, steal the bag of bling and reportedly returned all of the items. Although his specific charges have yet to be shared, Daniel will be facing a number of theft charges. Iverson is said to have been at the hotel at the time of the theft, however, he wasn't in the lobby area.