Man convicted after 2022 attempted armed carjacking of 17-year-old in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A man was convicted in an attempted armed carjacking in Philadelphia.

During a news conference on Monday, District Attorney Larry Krasner announced the conviction of 20-year-old Deandrade Jeferson.

The crime happened on February 27, 2022, as a 17-year-old girl was driving home from a church in Northeast Philadelphia.

Authorities say Jeferson and two others approached the vehicle, showed a gun, and fired a shot.

The teen, who was not injured, managed to drive away.

Jeferson is now set to be sentenced in September. The two others involved in the incident have not been caught.

Jeferson was initially arrested in June 2022. Authorities believe he and several others were the drivers behind a number of carjackings and that they were targeting people of Brazilian descent due to the possibility that the victims were undocumented.

"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," Krasner said in a statement. "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."