Broad & Liberty published my piece on the arrest of a man whom police believe stole more than $160,000 worth of items from parked cars.
You
can read the piece via the below link or the below text:
Some years ago, I discovered that my parked car in South Philadelphia had been broken into and several items had been stolen.
My
wife’s sunglasses, a couple of CDs and some change had been taken from the
front seat. And three items on the back seat floor that my wife planned to
return to a store were also taken.
As
I noted in an earlier piece here, a police officer showed up to take a report.
I told the officer there were several cameras on the block that could identify
the thief or thieves. But for such a minor crime, the officer said, shaking his
head, no detective would be assigned to investigate it.
After
the break-in, I spoke to a veteran Philadelphia detective I knew. He told me
that car break-ins were preventable.
“Car
break-ins, or smash and grabs, are crimes of opportunity,” the detective told
me. “Many victims leave valuables in their parked cars, such as shopping bags,
a briefcase, a cell phone or a laptop, and that creates an opportunity for a
thief. If you must leave something in your car, hide it under the seat or under
a blanket. Keep it out of plain sight.”
Theft
from vehicles is a minor crime, but it is a quality-of-life crime that
profoundly affects the victims who feel violated.
I
later spoke to a man who was devastated on Christmas Eve when he discovered
that a thief had broken into his car and stole a trunk full of Christmas
presents.
The
man had hidden the gifts in the trunk of his car so his two young children who
still believed in Santa Claus would not find them. On Christmas Eve, he went
out to his parked car to retrieve the gifts and saw that his car’s front window
had been broken and the interior of the car was torn apart. Several items that
he left in the car’s interior were gone. He also discovered that his trunk had
been raided and a dozen wrapped gifts were gone.
He
called the police, and a police officer came and took a report. The victim
called his brother and sister, and thanks to the support of his family members,
his children’s Christmas celebration was somewhat salvaged.
The
anti-Santa thief was never caught.
But
one suspected major thief who stole from cars was recently
caught.
On
December 12th, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner held a press
conference to announce that Chaun Davis (no relation) was arrested and charged
for his role as ringleader in what Krasner called “a brazen and sweeping theft
scheme that victimized dozens of Philadelphia residents.”
The
thefts were in excess of $160,000 worth of items that were stolen from vehicles
that were often damaged in the course of these crimes.
Joining
Krasner at the press conference were Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin
Bethel, Captain Robert McKeever, Commanding Officer of Southwest Detectives
Division, Assistant District Attorney William Fritze, the supervisor of the Gun
Violence Task Force, Assistant District Attorney Patrick Doughty, the District
Attorney’s Office’s Economic Crimes Division and Carjacking Enforcement Unit,
and Assistant District Attorney Anna Walters from the Gun Violence
Task Force.
According
to the District Attorney’s Office, Davis is charged with dozens of thefts
from vehicle offenses he allegedly committed across the city between January
and October of this year. These items include firearms, cash, credit
cards, electronics, and even police equipment such as bulletproof vests,
firearm magazines, and gas masks. The District Attorney’s Office believes
that in three of these incidents, Davis worked with two co-conspirators.
Stolen goods and
ammunition seized at the suspect’s home. (Picture from Phila. DA office)
Charges
currently include: seventeen counts of felony and misdemeanor Receiving
Stolen Property, sixteen counts of felony and misdemeanor Theft by Unlawful
Taking, fourteen counts of Theft from Motor Vehicle (M1), two counts of VUFA
6105 (F1), and related Robbery (F1) and Conspiracy (F1) charges.
Davis
is also under investigation in other jurisdictions beyond Philadelphia as well,
including Lower Merion and Montgomery counties. According to the District
Attorney’s Office, Davis has a lengthy multi-state criminal history for other
offenses dating back to 1995. These crimes include illegal possession of
firearms, Burglary, and Forgery.
The
District Attorney’s Office stated that this remains an active investigation.
Davis is currently in custody on $1.25 million bail.
“Thanks
to tireless police work, Chaun Davis’ wide-ranging crime spree is coming to an
end,” said Krasner. “My office is also taking this case incredibly seriously,
as the Gun Violence Task Force and the DAO’s Economic Crimes Division and
Carjacking Enforcement Unit are working together on the prosecution of this
defendant.”
Krasner
went on to thank the Philadelphia City Council and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle
Parker for their support of enforcement initiatives such as the DA’s Carjacking
Enforcement Unit in 2023.
“This
invaluable support from our city partners, simply put, enables our Carjacking
Enforcement Unit, Economic Crimes Division, and the Philadelphia Police
Department to collaborate and hold career criminals like Mr. Davis
accountable,” Krasner added.
Philadelphia
Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel stated, “It’s very important for the community
to know that the Department is working collaboratively with the DA’s Office and
our other partners to ensure that we address ALL crime.
“Thanks
to the dedicated investigation by 9th District Police officers and detectives,
we were able to bring this prolific offender in and now he will face justice. I
also want to remind Philadelphians that this is the time of year when we ask
you to be very diligent about where you keep items in your cars. Help us with
prevention by not leaving valuables unattended.”
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.
You can read my
previous Broad & Liberty pieces via the below link:
You searched for Paul Davis - Broad +
Liberty
Note: Above and below are some photos released by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office:
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