Carjacking suspect leads Philadelphia police on chase into South Jersey; woman arrested
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police officers chased a suspect into South Jersey following a carjacking and a shooting on Monday night.
It happened around 7 p.m. when police say a woman carjacked a driver on the 5600 of Pentridge Street in Philadelphia.
According to Chief Inspector Scott Small, a 28-year-old man behind the wheel was shot once in the back after getting into an altercation with the carjacking suspect.
"She jumped into the (victim's) Chevy Equinox," Small said. "They had a physical altercation and that's when the female shot the 28-year-old driver. He jumped out of the car because he was shot, and that's when she took the car," Small said.
The victim was taken to an area hospital where he's currently listed in stable condition.
The 26-year-old female suspect was later spotted in Southwest Philadelphia and led officers on a chase out of the city and onto Route 42 in the victim's Chevy Equinox.
The woman was arrested a short time later after losing control of the vehicle.
Police said she first crashed into a utility pole on the Atlantic City Expressway and then struck a guard rail on an off-ramp near Williamstown Road in Sicklerville, New Jersey.
Chopper 6 was overhead as officers made the arrest. The woman has not been identified.
Detectives said an hour before the carjacking, and five blocks away, the suspect reportedly tried to break into another car but was unsuccessful.
"The owner of the vehicle that was broken into confronted this female and then the female fled on foot. Well, the owner chased the female and the female turned around and fired four shots," Small said.
The driver was not injured in that incident.
The suspect was wearing a distinct purple sweatsuit which police said helped witnesses connect her to both crime scenes.
The police chase briefly brought nearby traffic to a standstill on the Expressway. The highway has since reopened.
No injuries were reported to officers or the suspect involved.
Police said the victims did not know the suspect; these violent acts were random.
A weapon has been recovered.
