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D.A. Krasner cuts off questions about alleged triple murderer |
By Ralph Cipriano
for BigTrial.net
On the night of Dec. 28, 2020, Ebony Kitchen got involved in a physical altercation out in the street with a woman and a man.
What happened next was caught on surveillance video outside a smoke shop on the 5800 block of Rising Sun Avenue.
According to police, Savion Perez, who wasn't involved in the fight, went up to the 24 year-old Kitchen and shot her point-blank in the head, killing her.
On April 2, 2021, police arrested Perez, 23, of the Juniata section of Philadelphia, and charged him with murder, conspiracy, two gun charges, and reckless endangerment. The police also arrested three co-defendants and charged them each with seven counts, including murder, conspiracy, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment.
The next stage of the criminal justice process involved a preliminary hearing, where a judge would decide whether the D.A.'s office had enough evidence to bind the defendants over for trial. But after a couple of continuances in court, on July 21, 2021, when a witness failed to appear again, Judge James DeLeon dismissed all charges against all four defendants for a lack of prosecution.
What happened next has baffled homicide cops and former prosecutors who reviewed the case.
The D.A.'s office wound up refiling the charges against all three co-defendants, as is customary in murder cases whenever a judge at a preliminary hearing tosses the charges due to a lack of evidence. But in this murder case, the D.A.'s office failed to take the usual step of recharging the alleged shooter.
Recharging Perez would have kept him in jail while the cops went out hunting for witnesses, so that another judge at another preliminary hearing could hold Perez over for trial on murder charges.
But since the D.A.'s office didn't take that usual step of recharging him, Savion Perez went free.
And what did Savion Perez do with his newfound freedom? According to the cops and the D.A.'s office, he went out and allegedly committed two more murders.
Perez's lawyer, Richard Shore, declined comment.
Let's Make A Deal
A cop who was familiar with the case said he didn't understand why the D.A.'s office didn't simply refile the charges against Perez. Or talk one of the three co-defendants into flipping, and testifying against Perez.
A seasoned former prosecutor who sought anonymity cautioned that without examining the case file, it was impossible to say with certainty whether Savion Perez could have been successfully prosecuted for murder. Even with a surveillance video as evidence.
However, the prosecutor did say what he would have done if confronted with such a situation. He would have basically morphed into Monty Hall, the late host on the old Let's Make A Deal show.
"The bottom line is this, I would have cut a deal with one of the three co-defendants, and gotten them to flip" and testify against Perez, the former prosecutor said.
But striking a deal to get a co-defendant to flip, the former prosecutor said, "would have required a person who knows what they're doing, and somebody who cares."
At a press conference yesterday at the D.A.'s office, I attempted to ask Joanne Pescatore, Larry Krasner's head of homicide, what happened with Perez.
But her boss, D.A. Krasner, now faced with possible impeachment from the state legislature, was employing some new tricks in his campaign to keep reporters from asking him questions that he doesn't want to answer.
Larry The SchoolMarm
Krasner's latest ploy to dodge questions from the media was to introduce a guest speaker at his press conference. Father Gregory Boyle is a Los Angeles priest who was visiting the city as a guest of the D.A.'s office. He's the founder of Homeboy Industries, a nonprofit in L.A. that works to rehabilitate former gang members.
At his press conference, Krasner stated that before he would take questions from Philadelphia's docile media, he wanted to announce that he would only entertain questions about the priest's work in L.A. or some specific gun crimes in Philly that the D.A. had just discussed in his latest update on gun crimes.
"I want to be clear," Krasner said, that he would only answer "questions specific to any of the cases I have raised about gun violence, or questions with reference to Homeboy Industries and Father Boyle."
"We will go in those two steps and I will call on reporters who have an interest in those two topics," the prissy Krasner lectured the reporters.
I proceeded to ask Pescatore about the release of Savion Perez, and why he wasn't recharged with the murder of Ebony Kitchen. Pescatore, I noted, had just signed off on two new murder warrants against Perez, who was back in custody.
Krasner immediately tried to shut down that line of questioning in a tiresome, schoolmarmish way.
Someone needs to tell our reform D.A., who once promised to be the most transparent Philly D.A. ever, that if you're calling a press conference, you're basically opening yourself up to all kinds of questions from all kinds of reporters. You're inviting chaos, and a free exchange that's known as freedom of speech, freedom of the press and democracy in action.
It's badly needed in a city that for the past two years has been setting all-time records for shootings, murders and carjackings. At a time when Krasner's version of alleged criminal justice reform, which basically involves placing the welfare of criminals above the rights of crime victims while imperiling the rest of us, is under fire from the state legislature.
But rules are rules, and at his press conference, Larry Krasner was being a stickler.
"These shootings, sir," Krasner insisted. He admonished me for not asking about the "shootings that we've discussed" at his press conference.
When I persisted that I wanted to know about Savion Perez, Krasner droned on at the microphone.
"Please, please, let's play by the rules for a change," Krasner lectured. "If you don't," he said, "then you're already violating the rules."
What rules?
As I told Krasner, "You change the rules every week."
At Krasner's last press conference, when it came time for the weekly q and a with the media, individual reporters spoke up and asked the D.A. many questions about many subjects, without going through the protocol of having to wait for Krasner to call on them by name.
The D.A. Office's Official Rules For Press Conferences
Some background is necessary here. When Krasner had me escorted out of one of his press conferences last month for asking a question that he didn't want to answer, I engaged Paula Knudsen Burke to represent me on behalf of the Pennsylvania chapter of the Reporters Committee For Freedom Of The Press.
Knudsen Burke contacted Krasner on my behalf, to let him know that the courts have consistently ruled that it's unconstitutional to discriminate against a reporter simply because Krasner doesn't like what I write about him on Big Trial.
On July 14th, Knudsen Burke filed a right-to-know request with the D.A.'s office asking to see a copy of the official office rules and policies regarding the D.A.'s press conferences, specifically, any records concerning "any criteria or direction on exclusion of news media members."
On Aug. 22nd, after filing for a 30-day extension, John Niemtzow, the D.A.'s open records officer, finally responded to Knudsen Burke's request.
And here's what he had to say:
The DAO was unable to locate any written policies, directives or guidelines from January 1, 2022, through July 14, 2022, discussing which members of the news media are included or excluded from, inter alia, press conferences, briefings, or media advisories, or any criteria concerning invitations to the press to these functions . . .
Moreover, the DAO is not required to generate records in response to [right-to-know] requests. See 65 P.S. § 67.705 (“[A]n agency shall not be required to create a record which does not currently exist”).
So here was the D.A.'s open records officer stating for the record that at the D.A.'s office, there simply are no rules for press conferences.
In addition to filing her right-to-know request, Knudsen Burke had also tried numerous times to seek comment from Krasner and/or Jane Roh, his official spokesperson, about his official office rules for inclusion and exclusion of reporters at press conferences, only to be stonewalled.
So on Sept. 9th, Knudsen Burke wrote Krasner:
Given both your lack of response, and Mr. Niemtzow’s August 22 letter, it is clear that there are no “rules” or procedures governing access to press conferences held by your office.
Therefore, we presume there will be no future incidents such as the one that occurred on August 8, 2022 when Mr. Cipriano was physically escorted from a District Attorney press conference for failing to follow non-existent “rules.”
Somebody who's familiar with the U.S. Constitution must have talked to D.A. Krasner. Because he's no longer ordering his security officers to evict me from press conferences.
And he's no longer running away from me so he won't have to answer my questions -- something he previously did five times in the past three months.
Instead, Krasner is now calling on me regularly at press conferences.
OK, that's progress. But it still doesn't mean that Krasner wants to answer any tough questions.
The Head of Homicide Speaks
While Krasner was admonishing me yesterday for not following his non-existent rules for press conferences, Joanne Pescatore, Krasner's head of homicide, bravely spoke up.
"I can answer that," she said about my question about Savion Perez.
"I approved both those cases," she said, referring to the two new arrest warrants for murder filed against Perez. "What's your question?" she asked.
So I proceeded to ask Pescatore why the D.A.'s office had recharged the three co-defendants for murder and conspiracy in the murder of Ebony Kitchen, but why they had failed to recharge the alleged shooter in the case, Mr. Savion Perez.
"Those three co-defendants," Pescatore noted, "are going to trial next month in November." So, she stated, "I cannot use anything they told me with regard to the actual shooter in the case."
Unless she struck a deal with one of those co-defendants to flip, and testify against Perez.
Pescatore blamed the decision not to recharge Perez and his subsequent release on a witness who repeatedly failed to show up in court.
"The witness in the case moved to Texas," she said. "We were still trying to find him. He did not appear at multiple preliminary hearings. It's not easy to get somebody in from another state."
When I pressed her on the decision to not recharge Perez, she said, "I am resurrecting that case once I can go forward with a preliminary hearing. I can't just recharge. I need to make sure I can make out the case."
As in having a witness ready to identify Perez in court as the shooter.
"If I couldn't find the guy yesterday, I need to know where he is so I can subpoena him with a new date" to show up in court, Pescatore said. "So that's the way it is."
In the meantime, I pointed out to Pescatore that according to the cops as well as her office, Savion Perez had gone out and committed two new murders.
"I understand," she replied.
Meanwhile, Larry Krasner had seen enough.
"That's not a question," he said about the two new murders that Perez had allegedly committed.
Then Krasner decided to shut down the discussion.
"Alright we will move on," he said, before going on to taking questions from other reporters that he was calling on.
Madelaine Wright, a general assignment reporter for CBS3, wanted to ask Krasner about an incident this weekend that made national headlines. Some 100 youths descended on a WaWa store on Roosevelt Boulevard and ransacked the place, and one of the invaders celebrated by twerking.
A video of the incident had gone viral, but Larry Krasner didn't want to talk about twerking or ransacking the WaWa.
"We're not gonna take general questions about other stuff today," Krasner said. "Theres plenty of stuff to talk about on another day."
When the reporter protested, Krasner said, "Well, that is not a topic for today. We'll be happy to address it at another forum but we're not going to disrespect the people who have come here from Los Angeles."
Krasner's decision not to discuss the WaWa invasion, the sanctimonious D.A. told Wright, was done "out of respect for people who have come a long way to spend two days going around the city" to meet with people and talk about how gang members are getting rehabilitated in L.A.
While back in Philadelphia, people are getting shot, murdered and carjacked in historic numbers.
Strike 1 For Savion Perez
The murder of Ebony Kitchen was big news on TV.
"About two minutes before being shot and killed, [Kitchen] was involved in a physical altercation with a female and a male," Chief Inspector Scott Small told
6ABC on Dec. 29, 2020.
"Then, about two minutes later, another male who was not involved in the initial altercation walked up, and he clearly points a gun at her head, face-area, and fires from just a few feet away," Small said.
Police told 6ABC that business surveillance systems and real-time crime cameras captured the murder on film. The police gathered other evidence.
"We found eight spent shell casings on the highway," Small told 6ABC. "Most of these shell casings were a few inches, some were just a few feet, from where the victim was laying on the street and pronounced dead."
At the time, police said, while the suspect was still at large, they had witnesses who could presumably identify him.
The victim, just 24, of the Lawncrest section of the city, was an employee of the city school district who delivered food to kids.
"The last thing she said to me at 5 o'clock was: 'I love you Mom,' before she left out my door," the victim's mother, Angela Sears, in a subsequent interview, told
6ABC.
Savion Perez On Tour
On May 18th of this year, police in Upper Southhampton PD conducted a traffic stop on a two-door black Ford F-150 pickup bearing a counterfeit temporary New Jersey registration.
Inside, the police found Savion Perez carrying a fully loaded Glock 19 9 mm handgun under the driver's seat, as well as a 30 round fully-loaded extended magazine in the glove compartment. The gun, police said, had two different serial numbers, but no registered gun owner.
The passenger's side window on Perez's truck was shattered and police found three spent shell casings on the floorboard of the truck. The driver, the police noted, was uncooperative. After he was charged with illegally carrying a gun, Perez was released on bail.
He subsequently failed to show up for court.
Strike 2
Just 11 days later, at 9:18 p.m. on May 29th, police responded to a radio call report of a shooting at 3065 N. Lawrence Street in South Philadelphia. They found an unresponsive male victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Edgardo Santiago 56, of 3063 N. Lawrence Street was transported by medics to Temple University Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9:47 p.m.
A second victim, a 33 year-old Hispanic female, was transported by private vehicle to Temple University Hospital suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to her lower extremities. She was reported in stable condition.
At the crime scene, police found 31 9 mm fired cartridges, nine ballistic fragments and four ballistics projectiles.
For that crime, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Perez on nine charges that include murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and two gun charges.
Strike 3
On July 15th, police responded to a report of a shooting victim at 3500 Amber Street. They found 24 year-old Marc Santiago-Moyer dead.
On Aug. 31st, police arrested Savion Perez and charged him with seven counts, including murder, robbery, theft, and two gun charges.
But to date, Perez has still not been recharged with the murder of Ebony Kitchen.
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Krasner will give kids a pass for destroying the Wawa like he does to murderers whom run free killing more people.
ReplyDeleteWawa should sue the entertainment center across the street for letting the kids walk over and destroy their Wawa.
No accident cops didn't pull out Glocks to detain kids with Papa's Glock as they didn't want to be put in jail with Ruch.
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Hope lawyers are working to spring Ruch from prison.
Ralph, as a Journalist who has made a Career preaching and pontificating issues from a supposed Moral High Ground, it is shocking that You didn't ask Krasner, a leading sponsor and advocate for the Collapse of the Systems of Justice, Why as a Jew it would not be considered sacrilegious for Him to appear at a Church on the 1st Day of the High Holidays and Rosh Hashana.
ReplyDeleteOnly a shmuck with Zero Integrity would be so brazen and Out of Touch with the Jewish Electorate as to commit this "Shunda."
Maybe for Yom Kippur, He will hold His Press Conference at Minister Farrakhan's Mosque.
My Jewish friends say Larry isn't a real Jew. His mother isn't Jewish. He's also not a real D.A.
DeleteI'm surprised he brought in a Catholic priest! They are the most hated of all! Thanks to media and entertainment sanctimonious hypocrites.
DeleteThe Philadelphia Inquirer and the Mayor has made hate great again with respects to the Catholics and their Church. The Inquirer covered up child sex abuse at the Inquirer and the Curtis Institute, Go figure.
Anyway - Larry is meshuga - whether Jew, Gentile, or Spaghetti Monster...that's for sure.
I know a few Lubavitcher Rabbis who would take the time to educate Krasner on the Teachings of the Talmud and the Wisdom of Jewish Law.
ReplyDeleteIt may fill a void in his wretched soul.
Chabad in the Ukraine has transformed Zelenskyy from a failed comic to a figure who is leading the World towards Armageddon.
Krasner has a similar Vision and lives it as an Apostate, fulfilling a Soros Dream to drive the World toward misery and ruin.
Unfortunately Eric was convicted. I know for a fact Corrigan withheld exculpatory evidence from the grand jury. Furthermore Larry tainted the jury with Craig McCoy from the inquirer publishing Ruch's IA file right before trial and Jane Roh tweeting the settlement. A mistrial should have immediately been declared. There is no way for McDermott to know if jurors consumed these blatant intentional acts. Ruch should be released immediately and a new trial should occur in a different venue. These are the tactics used by a corrupt district attorney.
ReplyDeleteThe real takeaway from this case is to never visit, work, or live in any place under the control of the leftist freakshow. No telling what the mentally ill freaks want tomorrow as their "justice" for imaginary wrongs, could be your head.
DeleteHave a new trial for Ruch, Pownall and that cop that shot a little boy or one acting like a man after he sent a bullet through 4 undercover cops in an unmarked car. The new trials should be held in Bucks County where they will not resemble trials held in Russia
DeletePlease do not recklessly malign those with serious and genuine mental illness.....I suspect that the freaks you refer to deliberately and consciously choose their course of "justice"
DeleteKrasner's Intramural Blood Games have continued at Roxborough HS Today.
ReplyDeletePhiladelphia High Schools should imprint the faces of Kenney, Krasner, and Outlaw on their footballs.
The New Approach to kicking these bastards in the balls.
Krasner is not only ducking you Ralph. He was tongue tied this AM when pressed by Mike Jerrick on Fox. No answers. Nothing
Delete