D.A. Declines To Charge Two Teens In Robbery Of Asian Women

By Ralph Cipriano

for BigTrial.net 

On Twitter, Councilwoman Helen Gym has been outspoken about how the office of District Attorney Larry Krasner is supposedly "defined by the discretion, judgment, and decency of its occupant."

"We won't go back," Gym tweeted, adding, "Vote @Krasner4DA."

Gym, who has also been outspoken about her opposition to anti-Asian violence, however, has been silent for the past few days as BigTrial has been seeking comment from her about a recent local example of anti-Asian violence that D.A. Krasner's office declined to prosecute.

At 1:38 a.m. on April 28th, police reported that two Asian women, ages 46 and 51, were assaulted, beaten and robbed by a group of juveniles in the vicinity of the 100 block of N. 10th Street.  The first victim, age 46, was pushed to the ground and punched in the head. The second victim, age 51, was punched in the left ear.

The robbers took the two women's bags and escaped on foot. They made off with Pennsylvania ID cards, credit cards, a brand new iPhone 10, and a total of $7,000 in cash. 

Police called to the scene of 10th and Cherry by reports of a robbery in progress apprehended two black males -- Maurice Pollard, 18, and Zahkeir Norman, 14, both of West Philadelphia. 

The cops found Pollard hiding underneath a car in the 700 block of Cherry. They subsequently chased down Norman. After the two suspects were in custody, the two female Asian victims made positive identifications, saying they were sure that Pollard and Norman were among the juveniles who were there when they were beaten and robbed. But the two victims told police they weren't sure who hit them.

Police arrested Norman and Polland and charged them with aggravated assault, robbery, criminal conspiracy, two counts of theft, simple assault, and reckless endangerment. But when the cops filed their paperwork with the D.A.'s office, Larry Krasner's charging unit declined to prosecute the case. Both suspects were subsequently released.

The D.A.'s office has a controversial policy of not trusting so-called "cross-racial identifications." In other words, the Philly D.A.'s office under Krasner doesn't trust a white person, or an Asian person, to be able to reliably identify a black suspect in a crime.

However, a cop source says that wasn't the problem with this particular decision by the D.A.'s office to decline to prosecute this case. The cop source said that problem No. 1 with the case was that no evidence was recovered, such as any of the stolen property and money.

Problem No. 2 was that the two female Asian victims couldn't positively identify either suspect as the perps who assaulted them. But, the cop source said, the two suspects could have been held on conspiracy charges, and then the cops could have pressed the suspects to give up their accomplices.

The last thing that should have been done, the cop source said, is for the D.A.'s office to turn both suspects loose. But that's exactly what happened.

"It's selective prosecution for certain races," the cop source said. "Obviously, crimes against Asians don't matter."

Of course, as is their usual policy, D.A. Krasner and Jane Roh, his official spokesperson who never speaks, did not respond to a request for comment. As they've been doing for the past 21 months. 

The first victim was taken to Jefferson Hospital to be treated for a bloody mouth and lips, and scratches to her hands and knees. The second victim complained of head and neck pain. 

On Monday, a staff member of Councilwoman Gym's office said she had referred a request for comment to the councilwoman's spokesperson, who never spoke.

This morning, I sent out a couple of tweets in an attempt to prod Councilwoman Gym to explain her silence, without success. 

"Hey Helen," I wrote, "Larry Krasner's charging unit just turned down for prosecution a case involving two Asian women who were beaten and robbed of $7,00 and an iPhone. Even though the two women positively ID'd two of their attackers."

"Your aides have all the details. Yet you remain silent. Please explain."

When I called the councilwoman's office today, I was referred to Greg Windle, a spokesperson for Gym. But in an automatic email reply, Windle said he was recovering from his second Covid vaccination, so he referred press inquiries to Jennifer Kates, who did not respond to a request for comment. 

Councilwoman Gym, however, has been outspoken on the anti-Asian violence recently perpetrated in Atlanta, when a gunman shot and killed six Asian women. 

“This mass shooting targeting Asian women is the latest escalation in the nation’s history of systemic racism and violence against Asian immigrants, fostered by a culture of white supremacy and misogyny that has long devalued the lives of immigrants, black women and women of color," Gym said in a statement released last month.

"I grieve for the victims, for their families, and for countless others who have suffered discrimination and brutality," Gym said. "I stand united with the Asian American Pacific Islander community as we demand justice for the victims, assistance for their families, remembrance for those lost to us long ago, and systemic change to protect women and immigrants for generations to come.”

But when it came time to defend a couple of local Asian women who were the victim of assault and robbery, Gym said and did nothing.

Maybe Gym's silence is because of her outspoken support for D.A. Krasner, who's seeking reelection at Tuesday's Democratic primary.

Krasner's biggest political problem is the murder rate, which under his watch has jumped from 315 in 2017, the year he was elected, to 499 murders last year, a 58% increase, and the highest death toll in 30 years, since the height of the crack cocaine epidemic. 

This year, with 188 murders so far, a 37% increase over last year, the city is on pace to set a record of 683 murders.

But on Twitter, Councilwoman Gym has been outspoken in her praise of Krasner, for exonerating 20 black men whom Krasner said were falsely convicted.

Gym has also stated that Krasner's opponents, Democrat Carlos Vega and Republican Chuck Peruto, "are absolutely unfit for the job of district attorney."

Postscript: While Councilwoman Gym remained silent, a cop source said that last Friday, the D.A.'s charging unit, in a cover-your-ass move, issued an arrest warrant for Pollard in connection with the burglary of the two Asian women.

Pollard, the source said, is also a suspect in a second case involving a car stolen from a victim who also happened to be Asian.