Man charged in illegal car meetup in Philly that caused thousands of dollars in damages

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Philadelphia authorities announced charges Thursday against a man they say tried to run over two police officers during an illegal car meetup over the weekend.

Officials say meetups happened late Saturday at 11 different intersections throughout the city. The incidents attracted large crowds of people and dozens of vehicles and resulted in injuries and property damage, according to 6abc.

The District Attorney’s office announced charges against 25-year-old Deonte Vincent, of Philadelphia, for his alleged part in a meetup in Northeast Philly. Officials said he was one of multiple suspects who fled the scene near the 7400 block of Bustleton Avenue.

Police said he hurt one person and nearly hit two police officers while leaving the scene.

Vincent is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, three counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count of accident involving death or injury. He’s being held on $1.5 million bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 11.

Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said five police vehicles were also damaged. Between $2,500 to $3,000 in damages occurred at each intersection. Roughly 25 people were cited throughout the weekend, Vanore said.

Assistant DA Kimberly Esack said the office is seeing a growing trend where city streets “are being taken over by a criminal element.”

“Philadelphia streets are not the personal playground of those who came here like this weekend to wreak havoc and destroy various parts of our city as well as assault our citizens and our police officers,” Esack said. “These are our streets and we refuse to allow them to be destroyed especially by outsiders who come here from the sanctity of their own homes and neighborhoods just to tear apart ours.”

At another meetup in South Philadelphia, a 17-year-old was hit by fireworks.

“She went back to Delaware where she lived, she wound up in a hospital,” Vanore said. “They thought for hours that she was shot. It turned out she was hit by an inert firework that went off and struck her.”

More arrests are expected as the investigation into the weekend’s incidents continue.

Esack said the DAO will use “every resource at our disposal to ensure that you are held accountable for your reckless, dangerous behavior.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 215-686-TIPS.