Zyair Dangerfield-Hill, a 24-year-old Philadelphia resident, has been sentenced to 199 months in prison and five years of supervised release following his conviction for an armed carjacking that targeted a 73-year-old man in the Spruce Hill neighborhood of West Philadelphia. The sentencing was delivered by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond.
Dangerfield-Hill was indicted in July 2021 on charges of carjacking and aiding and abetting, as well as carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He was convicted on both counts at trial earlier this year.
According to evidence presented at trial, the incident occurred just after 3 p.m. on April 21, 2021. The victim was walking his dog on Pine Street when he stopped at his parked vehicle. Dangerfield-Hill and another individual approached him with loaded handguns, demanding his car keys, cell phone, and wallet while threatening to shoot him if he did not comply. The victim handed over a $20 bill and his car keys after stating he did not have his wallet or phone. Two more individuals then arrived, also armed, and all four left the scene in the victim’s vehicle.
The Philadelphia Police Department responded quickly to the alert about the carjacking. Officers broadcast descriptions of the suspects and vehicle over police radio. Shortly thereafter, officers located a matching vehicle about a mile from where the crime took place. When police attempted to stop it, the stolen car crashed into metal pillars at 52nd Street and Paschall Avenue. Four suspects fled on foot; Dangerfield-Hill was apprehended soon after hiding behind a motorcycle several blocks away. Investigators used DNA evidence, fingerprints, location data, and other evidence to link 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,” said U.S. Attorney David 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 investigation involved both the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force. Prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Weisberg.
