Adult, 6 more teens charged in Center City melee
The District Attorney's office today charged six more students and a fourth adult in the melee that broke out Wednesday afternoon in Center City.
The District Attorney's office today charged six more students and a fourth adult in the melee that broke out Wednesday afternoon in Center City.
Twenty-three people are now facing charges of felony rioting, disorderly conduct and harassment. One of the juveniles, a 14-year-old West Philadelphia boy, also is charged with assault on a police officer.
"This group of teens and young adults represented a real danger to the community," said District Attorney Seth Williams in a statement. "I hope the seriousness of these charges sends a message that these reckless actions will not be tolerated in the city."
Officials hope the felony charges of rioting will discourage large after-school gatherings from erupting into violence. If convicted of felony rioting, the adults face seven years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Sentences for juveniles would be determined on a "case by case basis," said Tasha Jamerson, spokeswoman for the DA's office.
The 19 teenagers are being held at juvenile detention centers until March 11, when they are scheduled to appear for hearings in Family Court, Jamerson said. Their names are being withheld because of their ages.
School District officials have said the students attended Bartram, Benjamin Franklin, Communications Tech, South Philadelphia, Fels, Overbrook and Sayre High Schools and others were enrolled in alternative-education schools operating under contract with the district.
Hearings for the four adults - Miles Mebane, 18, of Southwest Philadelphia; Zameer Waliyud-Din, 18, of Upper Darby; Tasgene West, 18, of West Philadelphia; and Tyrone Joseph, 20, of West Philadelphia - are scheduled for March 9 at the Criminal Justice Center.
Mebane, Waliyud-Din and West have no prior adult records.
Tyrone Joseph has three open assault cases from an incident on Nov. 20. He is charged in each with simple and aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and criminal conspiracy to engage in simple assault.
