Police ID eight arrested after Super Bowl celebrations, looking for 21 others who tore down traffic lights
Police are asking the public's help in identifying 21 people they say ripped at least three traffic lights out during the Super Bowl celebrations.
Philadelphia police identified eight of the people they arrested during Sunday night’s celebrations of the Eagles’ Super Bowl win — including those they say attacked officers — and asked the public for help in tracking down 21 others who ripped down light poles and carried them through the gathering crowds.
Ten people were arrested during the boisterous revelry that followed the Eagles’ second Super Bowl win, including six people who assaulted first responders, police said.
About 11:30 p.m. Sunday, Terry Kinard, 26, of the 3200 block of Arlington Street, spat in the face of a Philadelphia Fire Department Medic Unit worker and hit the worker in the head on the 1300 block of Market Street, police said. He was charged with resisting arrest and harassment, police said.
Just before midnight, John Kasianczuk, 44, of the 5000 block of West Keyser Street, was arrested after police say he assaulted an officer on the 1400 block of John F. Kennedy Boulevard. He was charged with simple assault and related crimes.
Early Monday, just before 1:30 a.m., Anonio Kizzia, 21, of the 500 block of Van Kirk Street, was asked to leave the area of the 4200 block of Cottman Avenue, police said. But Kizzia refused, they said, and swung his right fist at an officer. The officer was able to dodge the punch, police said, and Kizzia was charged with aggravated assault and related crimes.
Less than an hour later, at 2:05 a.m., Teairah Tate, 33, of the 5100 block of North Camac Street, struck a police officer with her arm as she “swung [her arms] wildly,” police said. Tate was charged with simple assault, resisting arrest, and harassment.
Minutes later, at 2:20 a.m., on the 1300 block of Arch Street, Brandon Thompson ignored officers' commands to disperse and threw an undisclosed liquid on an officer’s face, police said. He was charged with aggravated assault and related crimes.
As the night’s celebrations coursed through the city, there were several reports of vandalism, property damage, and reckless driving.
Shortly before 12:30 a.m. Monday on the 7300 block of Frankford Avenue, Paul Aguilera, 28, was swinging a long yellow pole at electrical wires, trying to knock them down, police said. He was arrested and charged with possession of an instrument of crime and related offenses, and police confiscated the pole, which they said could expand to 23 feet in length.
Around the same time police say Aguilera was trying to rip down electrical wires, Destiney Paramore, 18, of Maple Shade, was speeding in a black Acura, they said, narrowly missing pedestrians on the sidewalk and officers at the intersection of Broad Street and Washington Avenue.
Paramore drove south on Broad Street and started doing doughnuts at Broad and Ellsworth Streets, ignoring officers’ commands to stop, police said. She continued trying to evade capture, driving north on Broad Street, again almost hitting pedestrians, according to police.
Eventually, Paramore got stuck in traffic on the 1000 block of South Broad Street and was arrested, police said. She was charged with reckless endangerment of a person, fleeing a police officer, and related crimes.
Also at 12:30 a.m. Monday, Tyler Roach, 30, of Bristol, was arrested on the 3500 block of Cottman Avenue and charged with harassment and related crimes, police said.
Police are continuing to search for more people they say caused chaos during the celebrations, including 21 people they are now asking the public to help identify. On Tuesday, police released a video montage of the people who they say ripped multiple poles up from the ground and hoisted them around Center City.
In one clip, two men were rocking a traffic light at Juniper and Market Streets, near City Hall, back and forth before wrenching it down onto the street. Then, a crowd of people gathered there began stomping on the light and breaking it apart, and some people took away pieces. In another clip, three men were carrying the traffic light pole on their shoulders, marching through a crowd, passing the Macy’s department store near City Hall.
In one clip, at least one other light pole can be seen ripped from its foundation. Police said at least three traffic light poles were destroyed.
Anyone with information on the destruction of the light poles is asked to call the department’s Central Detective Division at 215-686-3093/3094.