Lore-Elisabeth Blumenthal, Arson of Police Cars, Pennsylvania 2020

PHILADELPHIA – A Philadelphia woman has been charged with setting fire to two Philadelphia Police Department vehicles during protests on May 30, 2020, announced United States Attorney William M. McSwain.

Lore-Elisabeth Blumenthal, 33, of Philadelphia, PA, has been charged by criminal complaint for the arson of two Philadelphia Police Department vehicles. The defendant is currently in federal custody and had her initial appearance in federal court yesterday. The government will be filing a motion for the defendant to be detained pending trial.

Following peaceful protests in the early afternoon of May 30, 2020, in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN, civil unrest began to unfold later that afternoon in Philadelphia that resulted in widespread looting, burglary, arson, destruction of property, and other violent acts. On that day, two vehicles, one PPD sedan (number 2514) and one PPD sport utility vehicle (number 1612), were parked on the north side of City Hall in Philadelphia.

During the violent episodes that began around City Hall that afternoon, Blumenthal allegedly set fire to both vehicles. According to the complaint, various videos taken at the scene captured the defendant 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. Within minutes, the PPD SUV was also completely engulfed in flames. As result of the fires, both PPD vehicles were destroyed.

“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,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain.

“During the past several weeks, multitudes of people peacefully and lawfully exercised their First Amendment right to protest,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. “However, there were individuals who chose to use the protests as an opportunity to engage in criminal activity. Some of these individuals’ actions were malicious, destructive, and could have resulted in critical injuries to others. We are privileged to have worked, and will continue to work, with our partners in law enforcement to investigate, identify and hold accountable the persons who committed these unlawful acts.”

“Our communities deserve to be safe from these types of violent crimes,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge John Schmidt. “Everybody deserves to be safe from violent criminals utilizing dangerous methods to destroy our neighborhoods and property. ATF will always work with our local, state and federal partners to investigate and arrest the criminals who choose to use arson to commit their crimes and terrorize the public.”

“Masses of people took to the streets of Philadelphia on May 30, exercising their right to peacefully protest,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “They were there to send a message in which they truly believed. Sprinkled among the crowd, though, were agitators, whose sole purpose was to commit crimes and cause chaos. As alleged, Blumenthal came prepared for just that, carrying out these arsons that destroyed property and put many lives at risk. Sadly, such acts also hijacked the message of the day’s demonstrators, whose calls for change were obscured for a time by the smoke from all those fires. Working with our law enforcement partners, the FBI is committed to bringing to justice those responsible for violent acts during the otherwise peaceful protests in Philadelphia.”

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/us-attorney-mcswain-announces-charges-against-philadelphia-woman-arson-two-philadelphia