Woman attacked, beaten unconscious by kids in Center City sues Marriott for failing to keep sidewalk safe

A 33-year-old Philadelphia woman who was attacked and beaten unconscious by a group of young people while walking in Center City in February is suing Marriott International for negligence, alleging that the company’s failure to supervise and maintain a safe area on the sidewalk outside its adjoined luxury hotels contributed to her assault.

The ambush occurred just past 7 p.m. on Feb. 23, near 15th and Chestnut Streets — about a block away from City Hall and in front of the side-by-side W Philadelphia Hotel and Element Philadelphia Downtown.

According to the lawsuit, filed last week in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Amelia Corse was walking alone on the dimly lit Chestnut Street sidewalk toward the intersection and wearing headphones when she heard yelling.

As Corse approached 15th Street, the lawsuit alleges, a group of minors behind her “tracked, stalked and harassed” her, while others waited for her around the corner, “setting a trap.” There, the lawsuit says, Corse was attacked from behind and fell to the ground as the group of eight young people proceeded to kick, punch, and stomp her until she was unconscious. They then fled the scene, leaving Corse lying on the sidewalk.

A short time later, the complaint says, one or two of the alleged assailants returned to pick up their bicycle lying near Corse’s unconscious body.

» READ MORE: 7 juveniles in custody for attacking woman in Center City, police say

According to the suit, a bystander stood over Corse as she regained consciousness on the sidewalk outside the hotels, and she was taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. As a result of the attack, the lawsuit says, Corse suffered a traumatic brain injury; a concussion; injuries to her body, bones and organs; a broken clavicle and eye socket fracture; and cuts to her face requiring stitches. Police also said Corse’s AirPods were stolen during the assault.

In March, police said seven of the alleged assailants — all between ages 11 and 14 — were arrested and charged with criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault, robbery and related crimes. Six of them had turned themselves in, while one 14-year-old girl was arrested at her North Philadelphia home. Police last month were still searching for the eighth suspect.

The lawsuit asserts that while Corse was being attacked, staff at the hotels did nothing to interfere or call police, and had allowed the group to loiter outside the buildings before the assault. Multiple employees, security guards, valet attendants, and other agents were working near and around the Chestnut Street entrance to the hotels, the lawsuit says.

The complaint also accuses Marriott of cultivating “dangerous areas” due to low lighting, loose security and a lack of surveillance on the sidewalks outside the buildings. The suit contends that Marriott and Chestlen Development — the Conshohocken-based property owner of the dual-branded hotel — were responsible for the adjoining sidewalks and parking areas near the towering hotels, a $280 million project that opened in 2021.

A spokesperson for the W Philadelphia and Element Philadelphia Hotels declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.

Corse’s lawyers, John Morgan, Clancy Boylan, and Joseph Swist, said in a statement that “attacks like these have been prevalent within Philadelphia for some time now, and it’s time that businesses step up and do their due diligence to protect community members from violence on their properties.

“The hotel had the surveillance to see the violent situation that was unfolding outside their doors, yet allegedly did nothing to stop it,” they said.

A study released earlier this month from the Brookings Institution found that between 2019 and 2022, property crimes such as retail theft and burglaries across Philadelphia increased by 38%, while violent crime increased citywide by 1%. However, the study found that crime in Center City accounted for less than 1% of that change in both categories.

The lawsuit — which requests a jury trial — also names the parents of the suspects, accusing them of negligent supervision, failing to teach “proper behavior,” and as guardians of the minors, whom the lawsuit alleges intentionally hurt Corse.