Crime
Juvenile Carjacking Suspect in Custody After Fleeing Into Kentridge High School Parking Lot
The suspect was found to have entered the high school, located and taken to into custody without incident
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 5, 2024 – At around 9:30 a.m. this morning Kent Police responded to a report of a carjacking after the victim called 911.
The victim, a 27-year-old Newcastle man, reported that the suspect had posed as a purchaser of a vehicle he had for sale.
Following a test drive and a discussion about the price for the vehicle the suspect produced a firearm and took the vehicle.
The suspect fled into the parking lot of Kentridge High School where the unoccupied vehicle was located by police.
The suspect was found to have entered the high school, which was immediately placed on lockdown.
The suspect, who is a juvenile and will not be identified further at this point, was located and taken to into custody without incident and there is no ongoing threat to safety at the school.
The school will remain on a modified lockdown while police process evidence of the carjacking.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
Kentridge High School is currently under a full lockdown. Local law enforcement agencies are actively searching for a potential suspect who may have entered the school while it was placed on lockdown.
It is important to emphasize that there is no active shooter situation at this time.
A witness at the scene told Channel2 NOW that they saw numerous police officers surrounding Kentridge High School, while concerned parents and crying students gathered on the sidewalk.
According to a source, authorities are currently attempting to negotiate with the teen they have located, while a helicopter continues to circle overhead. One of the two teens has been found, and students can hear police communicating over the intercom. (As reported by my daughter at KR.)
As at the time of this report, there has been neither confirmation nor identification of any victims.
No suspects have been identified, and there has been no information immediately released regarding any arrests.
Police ask public to please stay out of the area.
This is a developing story that will be updated when more information is available.
Crime
Security guard Yahaira Melendez charged with murder after shooting inside IHOP restaurant in Center City Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, PA — A security guard has been arrested and charged with murder following a fatal shooting at a Center City IHOP over the weekend that left a 43-year-old man dead.
The incident occurred shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday at the IHOP located in the 1300 block of Walnut Street, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
When officers arrived, they discovered a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. The victim, who police say was unhoused, was transported to Jefferson Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Investigators report that the victim had been causing a disturbance inside the restaurant prior to the shooting. As security personnel escorted him outside, he allegedly turned and spat on one of the guards.
That guard, identified as 38-year-old Yahaira Melendez, allegedly responded by drawing her firearm and shooting the victim once in the head.
Police say preliminary findings indicate the victim was not armed at the time of the incident.
Melendez, a mother of three, was taken into custody and has been charged with murder and related offenses.
In a statement Melendez’s family expressed shock and disbelief over the situation, writing in part:
“We are shocked and devastated by the tragic events that occurred at the IHOP while she was working security. We know she would never harm anyone unless she felt she had no other choice to protect herself or others.”
The shooting has left nearby workers and residents shaken.
“Escalation — where was the escalation?” asked Karr Anderson, who works next door to the restaurant. “Security guards need to know how to withhold, how to show restraint.”
Philadelphia Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including whether proper security protocols were followed and what led to the use of deadly force.
Authorities have not yet released the identity of the deceased pending family notification.