United States Attorney David Metcalf has announced that Phillis Fugah, a 24-year-old from Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to charges related to a carjacking incident. Fugah admitted guilt in front of United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage for one count of carjacking and one count of using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The charges stem from an event on August 29, 2024, involving a Honda Pilot parked on West Chester Pike in Upper Darby.
According to court filings and the defendant’s admission, Fugah and an accomplice approached the vehicle where a man was seated with his two young children. The male accomplice fled after opening the passenger door. Fugah then took control of the driver’s seat and threatened the man with a gun while demanding money. During the altercation, the man’s five-year-old son escaped through an open door.
The situation escalated when Fugah fired her weapon at the man as he tried to retrieve his infant child still inside the vehicle. The bullet shattered part of the window and struck the man’s baseball cap without injuring him. Debris from the shot also hit a nearby SEPTA bus window but did not harm any passengers.
Fugah drove off in the Honda Pilot but abandoned it shortly after with the unharmed infant inside. She is set to be sentenced on November 4 and could face between ten years and life imprisonment.
The investigation was conducted by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency alongside Upper Darby Township Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Doherty and Sandra Urban are prosecuting this case.
