5 Arrests Made in Carjacking of House Democrat

Police says suspects were found in Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon's stolen vehicle
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 22, 2021 6:20 PM CST
Updated Dec 23, 2021 5:49 AM CST
Congresswoman Carjacked in Philadelphia
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, left, accompanies first lady Jill Biden at a pediatric COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Philadelphia earlier this month.   (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Update: Police say five arrests have been made in connection with the carjacking of a House Democrat in Philadelphia Wednesday. Delaware State Police said in a statement that the suspects were taken into custody around 9pm after they were found in Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon's stolen 2017 Acura MDX in the parking lot of a Newark shopping center, NBC reports. The arrests came around six hours after Scanlon was carjacked at gunpoint after leaving a meeting. Lauren Cox, Scanlon's communication director, said the congresswoman was returning to her vehicle after a meeting when two armed men demanded her car keys and her purse, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. Our story from Wednesday follows:

A congresswoman was robbed of her vehicle at gunpoint Wednesday in a South Philadelphia park. Democratic Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon was walking to her parked SUV after an afternoon meeting, a spokesperson said, when two armed men drove up. They demanded her keys, WPVI reports, then drove away with Scanlon's 2017 Acura MDX. In the Acura were her personal cellphone, government cellphone, purse, and identification. Scanlon was physically unharmed, per NBC News.

The spokeswoman said Scanlon was grateful to Philadelphia police and the Sergeant at Arms at the Capitol for their coordination "to ensure her continued safety." Scanlon is in her second term representing parts of South Philadelphia and nearby areas in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia's mayor issued a statement decrying the crime. "It's disheartening, and quite frankly infuriating, that criminals feel emboldened to commit such a reckless crime in the middle of the day in what should be a place of tranquility and peace," said Mayor Jim Kenney. (More carjacking stories.)

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