On May 30th, three gunmen armed with AK-47s and wearing black ski masks approached a Philadelphia street corner and fired 64 bullets at Felix Varcas.
Not surprisingly, the barrage of bullets they used to kill their target also killed someone else -- a pregnant 18 year-old woman, Lisa Carrasquillo. Carrasquillo was standing nearby eating an ice cream cone. She had just finished her last exam to graduate from high school.
Is there anything terribly unusual about this gangland killing? Perhaps not. One thing that we know is not unusual is the fact that the alleged killers all had extensive criminal records, yet were free to roam the streets and commit more crimes.
Police are seeking three young men in connection with the shootings. One of the three, Jonathan Hernandez, was due in court on Thursday on previous charges of drug dealing, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and fleeing a police officer.
One of the other three, Arisbel Ortiz, has not one, but two court dates approaching on arrests unrelated to the shootings. On June 27, he is due in court on drug and conspiracy charges, and a couple of weeks later, he is due on firearms charges. He was also due in court on April 16, but failed to show. Ortiz has a history of failing to show up for his court appointments, apparently with impunity.
Lisa Carrasquillo's baby was saved. But the baby will grow up without ever knowing its mother. This totally innocent woman was killed by men with a known history of violence and crime, who were left free to kill.
(Source: Philadelphia Inquirer.)
