for BigTrial.net
How clueless is the District Attorney's office in Philadelphia under D.A. Larry Krasner?
Yesterday morning, Assistant District Attorney Lyandra Retacco stood in front of Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Patrick Dugan, to discuss the whereabouts of one Jaleel Uqdah, 22, of West Philadelphia.
Mr. Uqdah had a status conference scheduled in front of the judge because he had been arrested during the George Floyd riots last June for allegedly breaking into a Family Dollar store and doing some free shopping. Of course, Uqdah got a get-out-of-jail free card from his Uncle Larry shortly after his arrest, and so he was recently at large.
But Assistant District Attorney Retacco didn't think Uqdah was a free man. In court, according to court records, she told the judge that Uqdah was still in custody at the Delaware County Prison where Retacco believed Uqdah was still serving time for a previous 2017 arrest for receiving stolen property.
And so at the hearing in front of Judge Dugan, the public defender agreed to accept service on Uqdah's behalf of the notice of when to appear in court next on April 1st in Courtroom 406.
The only problem: a couple of hours earlier yesterday morning, at 7:30 a.m., police were out in West Philadelphia arresting Uqdah for raping a 55 year-old woman in a rest room at Macy's. It took the coordinated efforts of the Philadelphia police, the public, and SEPTA police, working with surveillance footage from both Macy's and SEPTA, to catch the accused rapist.
And so Uqdah was in custody yesterday, charged with rape, robbery and aggravated assault, with no thanks to the brain dead district attorney's office. Now we can only hope that Let-Em-Loose Larry doesn't let Mr. Uqdah out of jail again.
When police arrested Uqdah yesterday for the Sunday rape at Macy's, he was at his home in West Philadelphia. Police said they recovered clothes that Uqdah was wearing the day of the rape.
On Sunday, Uqdah walked into Macy's at 11:11 a.m, and within three minutes he was hiding in the bathroom, waiting for a victim, Captain Mark Burgmann told CBSN Philly.
When the alleged victim entered the rest room, Uqdah allegedly hopped out of one stall into her stall, and threatened to stab her with 12-inch cooking skewers. Then he allegedly raped and robbed her before he fled.
Uqdah was captured on surveillance video hopping the subway at Market-Frankford El. Then, he got off at 52nd and Market, and took a bus to Girard Avenue.
Capt. Burgmann credited the suspect's arrest to crimefighting teamwork from the public, Macy's and SEPTA.
"It took a lot of work and we're very appreciate of that," Burgmann said.
He didn't mention the D.A.'s office.
The first was an arrest for burglary and related charges stemming from the looting of a Family Dollar store. The second case, the D.A. said, involved charges for theft and related offenses stemming from an August 2019 incident involving a SEPTA cashier booth.
According to court records, Uqdah was arrested on June 2, 2020 and charged with burglary, criminal trespass, and possession of an instrument of crime in connection with the looting of the Dollar store.
His bail was set at $5,000 unsecured, meaning he didn't have to post a cent before he got out of jail free. Thanks, Uncle Larry.
Uqdah's preliminary hearing in that case has been canceled or continued a total of seven times, according to court records.
Yesterday in court, ADA Retacco told the judge that Uqdah was in the Delaware County Correctional Facility as of Sept. 18, 2017 and was still in custody.
Is lying to a judge a crime? Or can ADA Retacco simply plead gross incompetence?
Court records say that Uqdah was arrested on Sept. 1, 2017 in Delaware County and charged with receiving stolen property. On Dec. 11, 2017, he was sentenced in a receiving negotiated guilty plea to 23 months in jail and two years probation.
If he served that prison time consecutively, he would have been out by the end of 2019. Officials at the Delaware County Sheriff's Department did not respond to a request for comment.
And of course District Attorney Krasner, and his loyal spokesperson, Jane Roh, did not respond to a request for comment.
At least they're consistent. For the past 19 months, I've been firing questions at Krasner and Roh regarding some 80 stories that have documented the incompetence and corruption in the D.A.'s office under Krasner.
And for the past 19 months, Krasner and Roh have been stonewalling. But they sure love to talk to their progressive comrades over at The Philadelphia Inquirer, which will continue to function as the official house organ of the corrupt local Democratic party, thanks to a $10 million gift from the feds.
Back on June 18, 2020, the crack staff at the D.A.'s office was reporting that Uqdah was still in custody at Delaware County. According to court records, the D.A. made the same report at a court hearing on July 24, 2020, which was why a requirement that the defendant had to show up in court was waived.
The same thing happened on Aug. 1, 2020; the defendant's presence was waived because he was believed to be still in custody in Delaware County.
Uqdah was arrested three times in 2019, according to court records.
The most recent arrest was on Oct. 17, 2019 for simple assault. But on Dec. 26, 2019, in front of Judge David Shuter, that charge was withdrawn by the D.A.'s office.
Thanks, Uncle Larry!
Uqdah was arrested previously on Aug. 1, 2019 and charged with two counts of theft, receiving stolen property, using an access device used to obtain property or service, and defiant trespass.
He was also arrested on July 26, 2019, and charged with criminal trespass.
Despite his numerous arrests, thanks to his Uncle Larry, Uqdah was out of jail and free to commit more crimes.
Until he got arrested yesterday and charged with raping a woman at Macy's.
At the office of D.A. Krasner, it continues to be amateur hour.
Utter incompetence. But any cop that goes to court can tell you it's a clown show. Thanks again Ralph!
ReplyDeleteGood work, Ralph. Krasner and his crew are beyond articulate description. Do they actually believe in law and order ? Really, what do the sick people in the Philly DA's office believe in at all ? What do they intend to say to the poor rape victim, who only went to use the ladies room and had her life irrevocably changed ? They don't seem to care about victims of crime, not any victims, only themselves and their twisted, inflated, arrogant pride.
ReplyDeleteYou don’t get it. Krasner’s primarily concerned with social justice, transforming our society, not mundane things like public safety.
DeleteIf a few white people get hurt along the way ( let’s face it, they’re all racists anyway) it’s a small price to pay.
He’s got more Important things to do.
Macy's should start a Campaign to Market Krasner endorsed Chastity Belts.
DeleteWomen should exercise the Right to Lock it Up when Shopping.
If Krasner won't Do It, take the Bull by the Horns.
Golly I can't imagine why democrat-run cities are begging for more handouts from sugar daddy biden. Who wouldn't want to visit, step in a dozen used hypodermic syringes, get mugged, and pay a hideous amount of tax to go fund people that actively spit in the taxpayer's face?
ReplyDeleteSo was the killer on the clock?
ReplyDeleteWas this during work hours?
If so, who's supervising these dishonest, violent, criminals, who work for the DA?
I thank God every day I left Phila. after military service. I grew up in the area they now call the badlands. The left has turned my old neighborhood into a crime ridden disaster. Krasner and his leftist comrades have accelerated the decline of a once great city. I don't think it will ever recover, at lease not with the demoncrats in charge. Wake up Philadelphia! Time to take your city back!!!
ReplyDelete