iradiophilly | News - Woman Charged Arson of Police Cars; Bucks Bus Driver Abused Teens; DRWC Columbus Monument Covered

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Woman Charged Arson of Police Cars; Bucks Bus Driver Abused Teens; DRWC Columbus Monument Covered

by: iradioal - Philadelphia, PA
started: 06/17/20 4:42 pm | updated: 06/17/20 4:45 pm

A Philadelphia woman has been federally charged with setting fire to two police vehicles after peaceful protests following the death of George Floyd turned violent the first day of demonstrations in Philadelphia. 33-year-old Lore-Elisabeth Blumenthal is charged with two counts of arson. It happened on Saturday, May 30, on the north side of City Hall. A PPD sedan and a PPD SUV were both set ablaze while parked next to each other. Officials say that a woman was seen "wearing protective goggles and gloves, taking a flaming piece of wooden police barricade from the rear window of the PPD sedan that was already on fire and then shoving the flaming wood into the PPD SUV that was not on fire." The woman had a unique t-shirt and tattoo. She was seen in many photos and videos from that day taken from the news media and other protestors. Federal investigators used a variety of websites and social media including Etsy, Instagram, Poshmark, and LinkedIn to track down Blumenthal and match her to the shirt and tattoo seen on the suspect.

"We at the U.S. Attorney's Office fully support the First Amendment right of the people to assemble peaceably and to petition their government. But torching a police car has nothing to do with peaceful protest or any legitimate message. It is a violent and despicable act that will be prosecuted in this District to the fullest extent of the law," U.S. Attorney William McSwain said. "Anybody who engaged in such acts can stand by to put your hands behind your back and head to federal prison. We are coming for you."

UPDATE: 6/19 - Blumenthal was denied bail and will remain in jail until trial.

A Bucks County school bus driver has been arrested for sexually abusing two teenagers. 40-year-old John Michael Evans of Tullytown is charged rape, child pornography, sex trafficking of a minor and related counts. The abuse occurred over three years. The two boys were repeatedly, but separately abused from January 2017 and June 2020. One is 17 and the other 16. The older one had tried to report the crime in December, but police couldn't find enough evidence to bring charges. The younger one reported it this time in June. He was a foster child that had been placed with Evans in April. Evans worked for the Pennsbury and Bristol Township school districts and was involved in youth sports. He is being held at Bucks County Correctional Facility in lieu of $500,000 bail. If you have any information contact Bucks County Detective Lt. David Kemmerer or Detective David Coyne at 215.348.6354 or Tullytown Police Sgt. Andrew Bunda at 215.945.0999 ext. 225.

The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation has covered up the base of the 106-ft Christopher Columbus Monument at Penn's Landing on Wednesday, 6/17. The monument was designed by architect Robert Venturi and erected in 1992 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus' first journey to the New World. The DRWC said in a statement that the monument "is a focus of controversy and pain for many people in the Philadelphia region and around the country as it fails to address atrocities committed against indigenous peoples." They are covering the bottom of the monument "in an effort to protect public safety" and "reduce continued pain." The DRWC plans to launch a 'public process' to decide the fate of the tower.

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(2) responses

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by: iradioal - Philadelphia, PA | responded: 06/17 4:44 pm

40-year-old John Michael Evans of Tullytown is charged rape, child pornography, sex trafficking of a minor and related counts.

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by: iradioal - Philadelphia, PA | responded: 06/17 4:45 pm

The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation has covered up the base of the 106-ft Christopher Columbus Monument at Penn's Landing.

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