PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Investigators say the man who stole a car in Center City last summer and went on a deadly hit-and-run spree all the way through Montgomery County will face murder charges in Montgomery County, not Philadelphia.
Typically, the jurisdiction with the most serious crime handles the prosecution, but Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office agreed to allow Montgomery County to handle the case “to accurately portray the egregiousness of this crime spree.”
Court records show 41-year-old Kareem Welton was under the influence of PCP and THC on July 27 and 28. The seven-page affidavit of probable cause lays out in detail the events of the night, starting around 10:45.
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Welton is accused of stealing a dog and a car, rear-ending a motorcycle near Broad and Lombard streets around 2 a.m., then fatally hitting Adriana Moreno-Sanchez near 15th and South streets as she walked home from work.
Investigators say he carefully drove onto the sidewalk, avoiding other cars, then sped toward Moreno-Sanchez. They say he hit her, turned around, and ran over her again, killing her. He stopped and stole her chef’s jacket before driving off.
He is accused of stealing another car from Rittenhouse Square around 4:40 a.m. By 5:45 a.m., a police officer said he saw Welton hit a person on a bicycle in Manayunk.
Welton kept driving through Montgomery County, where police say he swerved across the other lane of traffic and hit a jogger.
The complaint continues, saying Welton parked the car at a gas station — which was still running — on Main Street in Trappe. He got out, still carrying the stolen dog, and tried to steal a bike, but police caught up to him and took him into custody.
Welton is facing a long list of charges, including first-degree murder, five counts of attempted murder, 10 counts of aggravated assault, robbery, hit-and-run, and more related offenses.
He is being held without bail due to the murder charges.
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