PHILADELPHIA – A Philadelphia man is headed to federal prison for nearly 17 years after a brazen daylight carjacking that terrorized a 73-year-old victim in the Spruce Hill neighborhood. Zyair Dangerfield-Hill, 24, was sentenced today to 199 months in prison and five years of supervised release by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf announced.
Dangerfield-Hill was convicted in April of both one count of carjacking and aiding and abetting, and one count of carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting. The July 2021 indictment stemmed from an incident on April 21, 2021, when the victim was ambushed while walking his dog on Pine Street.
According to trial evidence, Dangerfield-Hill and at least one associate approached the victim as he was putting something in his parked car. They immediately brandished loaded handguns, demanding the victim’s keys, phone, and wallet, and threatening to shoot if he didn’t comply. The victim, thankfully unharmed, surrendered a $20 bill and his car keys, even as two more armed men joined the assault. All four then piled into the stolen vehicle, with Dangerfield-Hill in the front passenger seat, and sped off.
Philadelphia Police Department officers responded quickly, broadcasting a description of the vehicle and suspects. A mile from the scene, officers spotted the stolen car and initiated a pursuit. The driver led officers on a reckless chase before crashing into metal pillars at 52nd Street and Paschall Avenue. Four individuals, including Dangerfield-Hill, fled on foot, but he was apprehended hiding behind a motorcycle roughly three and a half blocks away. DNA, fingerprints, and location data firmly linked him to the crime.
“Dangerfield-Hill participated in the ambush of an innocent stranger in a brazen daylight carjacking, the victim surrounded by assailants pointing guns and shouting threats,” stated U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “We will not permit armed criminals to prey on people in this city. We’ll continue to work with our partners to put violent offenders behind bars, where they belong.” The FBI Philadelphia Field Office, led by Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, echoed this sentiment. “Carjackings are a vicious crime that endanger lives, spread fear, and erode the very fabric of community safety,” Jacobs said. “The FBI will continue working side by side with our partners at the Philadelphia Police Department to protect our citizens and ensure those who commit these crimes are held fully accountable.”
Assistant United States Attorneys J. Jeanette Kang and David Weisberg prosecuted the case, which was the result of a joint investigation by the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force. This sentencing sends a clear message: armed robbery and carjacking will not be tolerated in Philadelphia, and those responsible will face significant federal prison time.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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