Alleged Carjacker Just Out On Bail Assassinated Outside Prison

By Ralph Cipriano

for BigTrial.net

It continues to be open season for murder in Philadelphia as an accused criminal who just got out of jail early this morning was executed on the grounds of the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Holmesburg.  

At 1:59 a.m., Rodney Hargrove, 20, of West Oak Lane, was waiting at a bus stop across the street from the prison for a ride home, when he tried to run away from an assassin riding in a black sedan. 

Hargrove, who had just gotten out of jail on $20,000 bail, ran back to the prison grounds but the assassin was able to follow Hargrove in his car past a security guard and a checkpoint with an automatic arm. Sources say the guard might have been asleep. 

Cops summoned to the prison over reports of gun shots at the prison found Hargrove lying on the ground and non-responsive from multiple bullet wounds. Medics who arrived at the scene pronounced him dead at 2:07 a.m. Police recovered 9 mm fired cartridge casings, two live 9 mm caliber rounds, and one .380 fired cartridge casing.

Police said the assassin fled south on State Road in that black sedan. 

Hargrove had two prior arrests, and law-and-order types are free to question why he was out of jail. But in Larry Krasner's Philadelphia, this isn't unusual as the D.A. is notoriously lenient when it comes to prosecuting gun crimes.

On March 10th, Hargrove was arrested for receiving stolen property, carrying unlicensed firearms, fleeing or attempting to elude police, and carrying a loaded weapon. 

His preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 26th, but he's not going to make it.

On March 11th, Hargrove's bail was set at $200,000 monetary, meaning he had to put up $20,000 yesterday to get out of jail. 

Hargrove's previous arrest was on Jan. 23, 2020, for an alleged carjacking. Hargrove was charged with receiving stolen property, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and driving without a license. 

Philadelphia Prisons Commissioner Blanche Carney told NBC10 that Hargrove had been released for about 45 minutes before he was gunned down.

Hargrove goes into the books as Homicide Victim No. 104 for this year. It's a record pace 30% higher than last year, when the city had 499 murders. That was the highest homicide total in 30 years, since the peak of the crack cocaine epidemic.

At this rate, Philadelphia, which is second in murders nationally behind only Chicago, will set an all-time high record this year of 648 murders.

It's quite a tribute to the progressive leadership of Mayor Jim Kenney, D.A. "Let-Em Loose" Larry Krasner, and Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.

On Wednesday night, the Society Hill Civic Association hosted a virtual candidates forum for three candidates running for D.A. 

"Our streets have become the Wild, Wild West," lamented Chuck Peruto Jr., a veteran criminal defense attorney who's seeking the Republican nomination for D.A.

"We have an epidemic" of homicides on our hands, Peruto told the audience on the Zoom conference. He called for the restoration of Stop and Frisk, a program that he said would cause the homicide rate to plummet.

Peruto says he knows that civil libertarians hate Stop and Frisk, but he described the program as a "small price to pay during an epidemic of gun violence."

Peruto also ripped Mayor Jim Kenney for previously pushing a so-called safe injection site for drug addicts to shoot up legally in South Philadelphia.

"I think he's getting soft in the head," Peruto said about Kenney. Peruto described the so-called safe injection site as "an oxymoron proposed by morons."

Next up was Carlos Vega, a career homicide prosecutor who's opposing Krasner in the May 18th Democratic primary for district attorney.

Vega said it was possible to reform the criminal justice system while keeping armed and dangerous criminals off the streets.

"We can do responsible reform, and we can make the city safer and fairer," he said.

But not with our current D.A.

"Krasner has turned his back on us. He doesn't listen to us," Vega said.

It's also amateur hour over at the D.A.'s office with Krasner's crew of inexperienced and incompetent prosecutors who are typically former public defenders. 

Basically, nobody over at the D.A.'s office knows what they're doing. 

"Krasner's in over his head," Vega said. "There's a lack of experience" in the current D.A.'s office.

 The D.A. is also responsible, Vega said, for "fractured relationships" with agencies that should function as partners in law enforcement, such as the U.S. Attorney's office and the state attorney general's office.

Vega talked about a recent horrific crime where a woman was raped inside a bathroom at Macy's in Center City.

"That is incomprehensible, but it's our reality now," he said.

To prove Vega's point about Krasner turning his back on the citizens of Philadelphia, Krasner didn't bother to show up for the Zoom debate, claiming he had a schedule conflict.

"His conflict is he can't justify his policies of the last three years," Peruto said.

Last night, the carnage on our streets continued unabated.

In the 15th District at 6:01 p.m., agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and narcotics officers from the Philadelphia Police Department pulled over a vehicle on 4100 Glenview Street.

The driver of the car bolted, ran down an alley and fired at the DEA agents in pursuit. Then, he broke into the rear of a house 4133 Glenview Street, where he called 911, but wouldn't come out.

Police set up a barricade outside the house and the man inside finally decided to come out and surrender. He was taken into custody and when police searched the house, they recovered a weapon inside.

And while the bullets were flying what was Police Commissioner Outlaw up to?

She was in her office typing the following email to everybody at police headquarters about another urgent matter -- Women's History Month:

To: POLICE HQ ALL
Good Evening,

In recognition of Women’s History Month, the Community Relations Unit will be honoring our female officers and civilians by creating a video collage that will be shared on our social media channels. I would like to invite all female officers and civilians from Police Headquarters to join me tomorrow morning and take part in a group photo, with proper mask attire, on Friday, March 19th at 9:30 a.m. in front of the Police Administration Building.

Districts and Units have been contacted and will continue to capture and submit their group photos to the Community Relations Unit by Monday, March 22nd. If you are unable to join the group photo tomorrow, feel free to send your district or unit's group photos to Police.CO Community Relations@phila.gov.

As always, thank you for your dedication.

Sincerely, Danielle Outlaw