They are officially looking at two vehicles. Justin Smith’s torched 2018 black Ford Fusion and now a rental car that investigators believe may have been involved in the dumping of Brice’s body.
Smith remains a person of interest. Eyewitness News spoke with his father Wednesday. He says everyone’s stomach is in knots. They have no idea what is going on.
The family has not heard from his son and right now, they are letting detectives do their work.
Source: 3rd Person May Be Involved In Murder Of 21-Year-Old Dianna Brice
*There are many factors and issues possible leading into several scenarios. We’ve heard some about the addiction, homelessness, COVID and socioeconomic elements at play. Others:
In Philadelphia, there’s been nearly a three-fold increase in stolen vehicles this year compared to 2020 - reaching the highest level since
“Carjackings tend to be very violent crimes. People tend to be willing to struggle over their car when they’re not willing to struggle over their wallet,” said Vignarajah.
“In places that have cities that have seen a spike in carjackings, you would expect federal authorities to assemble a task force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office to become more involved to make sure the carjackings are treated seriously,” said Vignarajah.
Carjackings are on the rise. What's causing the spike in crimes?
As of April 6 of this year, there have been 16 homicides involving youths under 18 years old in Philadelphia, according to Officer Miguel Torres, a Philadelphia Police Department spokesman. That number is greater than the four homicides involving youths recorded during the same time last year, and on pace to surpass the 35 such homicides seen in all of 2020.
Deadly Shooting of Boy, 15, Underscores Rising Killings of Philadelphia's Childern