PHILADELPHIA, PA — Kaleb Bridges, age 20, was sentenced Tuesday to a staggering 166 months behind bars, following a harrowing incident at a local pizza parlor that saw two employees shot and wounded. The United States District Court Judge, Gerald A. McHugh, also mandated five years of supervised release after Bridges serves his time, marking the end of a terrifying ordeal for the victims and their family.
The chilling crime unfolded on the night of March 8, 2023, at the Mayfair Pizza restaurant located at 7424 Frankford Avenue. As the establishment was getting ready to close, Bridges burst in, brandishing a firearm. He demanded cash, forcing an employee to empty the register into a bag. But as the employee complied, the situation took a horrifying turn. Bridges, in a desperate bid to escape with the loot, shot the employee in the shoulder when she couldn’t release the bag quickly enough. Amidst her attempts to take cover, another bullet from Bridges’ gun hit a refrigerator.
The violence didn’t end there. The employee’s father, witnessing the attack on his daughter, attempted to thwart Bridges’ escape. In the ensuing struggle, Bridges dropped his weapon but quickly retrieved it, firing once more. This time, his bullet found a new victim – the employee’s mother and co-owner of the pizza parlor, who was gravely injured in the altercation.
Thanks to the bravery of those present, Bridges was eventually subdued and held until law enforcement arrived. The first victim was swiftly treated and released, while her mother faced a grueling recovery, spending weeks in the hospital.
U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero didn’t mince words in condemning Bridges’ actions, highlighting the profound impact of his crimes on the victims and their family. “Kaleb Bridges’ decision to rob this family business at gunpoint and shoot two members of that family was life-changing for the victims,” Romero stated, pointing out the long-lasting trauma inflicted by Bridges in mere minutes.
The case drew a concerted response from law enforcement, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Philadelphia Police Department banding together to ensure justice was served. Special Agent in Charge Eric J. DeGree emphasized the commitment to tackling armed robberies that threaten local businesses and communities, while Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel condemned the “brazen violence” exhibited by Bridges.
As Bridges begins his lengthy sentence, the message from Philadelphia’s legal and law enforcement community is clear: this sentencing not only seeks to provide some measure of justice for the victims but also aims to be a stern warning to others who might contemplate such reckless endangerment of lives and livelihoods.
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