An 18-year-old man faces multiple criminal charges stemming from a carjacking incident Tuesday night in North Philadelphia, where investigators say he stole a pizza delivery driver’s van while his girlfriend and their three children were inside the vehicle.
Shaun Triplett, of the 2900 block of West Norris Street, was charged on Wednesday afternoon with aggravated assault, robbery, kidnapping, a weapons charge and other related offenses after his arrest the night last, police said.
The incident happened around 10:50 p.m. along the 2700 block of Warnock Street, just off Tioga Street and Rising Sun Avenue, police said.
The 36-year-old driver of a blue Chevrolet van was making his last pizza delivery of the night and got out of the car to deliver the food to the customer’s door. While making the delivery, the driver noticed a man wearing a ski mask and all black clothing peering into the van, then opened the driver’s side door to step inside, police said.
As the delivery driver ran to the van, Triplett allegedly locked the car doors and sped off with the driver’s girlfriend and children still in the car, investigators say.
The girlfriend, a 35-year-old woman, began to struggle with Triplett and he allegedly threatened to kill her. The woman told authorities she saw Triplett put her hand in her pocket and decided to jump out of the moving vehicle, leaving the three children inside.
Source/Philadelphia Police
Shaun Triplet
Shortly after the woman escaped from the vehicle, Triplett allegedly dropped off one of the children and then abandoned the van along the 1200 block of Cambria Street, with the other two children still inside, the police said. police.
Triplett reportedly got into a white Chevrolet Impala with two other unidentified men. Authorities tracked the vehicle with the assistance of a police helicopter until it was abandoned at 300 Euclid Street, and the three men fled the scene on foot.
Triplett was taken into custody at 1800 N. 31st St. and a loaded gun was recovered.
The pizza delivery driver and his girlfriend found their three children, who were not injured. The woman injured her foot jumping out of the vehicle.
Authorities did not immediately locate the other two men who were inside the white Chevrolet Impala.
The incident is the latest in a growing series of carjackings on the streets of Philadelphia, where such incidents have increased dramatically over the past two years. Philadelphia police continue to advise drivers to be aware of their surroundings and take precautions when leaving and returning to their vehicles.
