PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The man who fled from officers attempting to serve a warrant on domestic violence-related charges also faces homicide charges stemming from a crash Monday morning that left a 63-year-old woman dead and an Uber driver seriously injured.
The charges, including homicide by vehicle, will be filed against Joseph Cini, 35, once he is released from the hospital, the District Attorney’s office said.
Sheriffs went to Cini’s workplace on the 900 block of North Watts Street in the West Poplar neighborhood around 7:45 a.m. Monday to serve a warrant tied to an earlier domestic violence case involving strangulation. That's when authorities said Cini fled in his car, and his vehicle t-boned an Uber.
The crash killed the passenger, Angela Cooper, 63, and seriously injured the driver, Steven Thomas, according to officials.
“The accident happened within a short distance from the parking lot. It was within four blocks,” said District Attorney Larry Krasner.
“The accident itself was absolutely devastating.”
He said sheriffs were not in pursuit, and it is unclear if they had contact with Cini before he fled.
“They had actually parked and emerged from their vehicle to carry out their duties when he made his escape through that parking lot,” said the District Attorney.
Krasner described Cooper as a good community member who cared for the homeless and was involved in her church.
“Angela Cooper was a remarkable person who did a lot of homeless outreach on her own for no compensation at all,” he said.
Cooper was a PECO employee who was taking care of both of her parents, Krasner said.
Cini turned himself in to the police on Tuesday, but he was hospitalized due to an undisclosed medical issue. An arraignment will occur once he is released.