Five suspects were apprehended in Delaware Wednesday night after state police discovered them with the vehicle that was reportedly carjacked earlier that day from Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon.
Scanlon reported her SUV being carjacked at gunpoint at FDR Park in South Philadelphia along the 1900 block of Pattison Avenue around 2:45 p.m., according to law enforcement. The congresswoman was unharmed in the incident.
The suspects included four males and one female. It is unclear whether those driving the vehicle were the same people involved in the carjacking.
Fox 29 in Philadelphia reported Scanlon was walking to her SUV when she said two black males approached her and demanded her keys. After she handed over her keys, one man drove her vehicle followed by the second man in another SUV.
Scanlon’s office released a statement thanking police on Wednesday:
Wednesday afternoon around 2:45 p.m., Congresswoman Scanlon was carjacked at gunpoint in FDR Park following a meeting at that location. The Congresswoman was physically unharmed. She thanks the Philadelphia Police Department for their swift response, and appreciates the efforts of both the Sergeant at Arms in D.C. and her local police department for coordinating with Philly PD to ensure her continued safety.
Statement from the Office of Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon on today’s incident: pic.twitter.com/fomScnWUXo
— Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (@RepMGS) December 22, 2021
“Everyone deserves to feel safe in our city, and sadly, as we know, that hasn’t always been the case this year. It’s disheartening, and quite frankly infuriating, that criminals feel emboldened to commit such a reckless crime in the middle of the day in what should be a place of tranquility and peace—one of Philadelphia’s beautiful parks. I’m thankful that she was not physically harmed during this incident, and my thoughts are with her during what I’m sure is a traumatic time,” Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement, according to the report.
BREAKING: Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon’s SUV was found in Delaware Wednesday night near the Christiana Mall. State Police say five people have been taken into custody. https://t.co/aERmTw2NMN
— FOX 29 (@FOX29philly) December 23, 2021
“I am relieved that Congresswoman Scanlon was not physically injured, and my thoughts are with her during this difficult time,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said. “The PPD will continue to provide any support needed in this case and will work diligently alongside our federal partners to assist in bringing those responsible to justice.”
Scanlon was one of 125 co-sponsors of the Mental Health Justice Act, a bill created “To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to States and political subdivisions of States to hire, employ, train, and dispatch mental health professionals to respond in lieu of law enforcement officers in emergencies involving one or more persons with a mental illness or an intellectual or developmental disability, and for other purposes.”
In June 2020, the congresswoman wrote on her website that, “I am working on as we fight to dismantle systems of hate, hold law enforcement officers accountable, and push for the adoption — and use — of unbiased policing practices.”
In addition to Scanlon’s incident, Illinois State Senator Kimberly Lightford and her husband Eric McKennie were carjacked on Tuesday at gunpoint in the Chicago suburb of Broadview. Lightford is the second-highest-ranking Democrat in the state’s Senate.
“Police said three men driving a Durango took a black Mercedez Benz SUV that belonged to Lightford, police said. The state senate majority leader was dropping her hairstylist off at her home when the incident occurred,” ABC News 7 Chicago reported.
Illinois State Sen. Kimberly Lightford And Husband Carjacked In Broadview https://t.co/xAUrDsgOfX pic.twitter.com/0dm5U17LG7
— CBS Chicago (@cbschicago) December 23, 2021