VERSÃO TRADUZIDA PARA O PORTUGUÊS DESTE COMUNICADO DISPONÍVEL ABAIXO
PHILADELPHIA (July 8, 2024) — District Attorney Larry Krasner announced on Monday that a Philadelphia jury convicted Deandrade Jeferson (DOB 9/10/03) of Robbery, Conspiracy, Possession of an Instrument of Crime, and VUFA 6106 for his role in an attempted carjacking that occurred in 2022.
According to investigators, Jeferson and two co-conspirators (who remain at-large) approached a teenaged girl’s vehicle in the city’s Northeast section on the evening of February 27, 2022 while she was double-parked outside of a residence. The victim was driving home from a Valentine’s Day event at her local church. Two other female teens were in the vehicle. After Jeferson approached the vehicle, he tapped a firearm on the driver’s side window and then discharged the weapon, leaving one bullet hole in the bottom of the car door. The victim and passengers fled the scene in her car. The incident can be viewed in its entirety here. Post-incident video can be viewed here.
Jeferson was arrested in June 2022. Investigators believe that Jeferson and others were the drivers behind a number of other carjacking incidents and that they were targeting people of Brazilian descent due to the possibility that victims may be undocumented.
Assistant District Attorney Kenzie Johnson utilized testimony from the survivor as well as forensic evidence, including a sizable handprint left on the driver’s side window, to secure a guilty verdict. The jury deliberated for only a couple of hours before rendering their verdict. Jeferson is scheduled for sentencing on August 9, 2024, before the Hon. Monica Gibbs.
“I applaud the skillful prosecution of this case by Assistant District Attorney Kenzie Johnson,” said DA Krasner. “Sadly, this case is emblematic of the fact that undocumented people in our city tend to be preyed upon by criminals who take advantage of victims’ fear of law enforcement. 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.”
“I’m grateful for the excellent investigation conducted by the Philadelphia Police Department,” said ADA Johnson. “Thanks to the collection of powerful forensic evidence, an anonymous tip in the form of surveillance video, and brave testimony from the survivor of this incident, a Philadelphia jury was able to deliver justice and hold Mr. Jeferson accountable for his crimes.”
CONTACT:
Dustin Slaughter, [email protected]