A popular social media influencer known as “Meatball” livestreamed the rabid looting spree that engulfed Philadelphia’s city center overnight, before she was seemingly arrested while cheering on the marauders.
Meatball, whose real name is Dayjia Blackwell, shared video and photos on her Instagram Stories gleefully documenting the mass plunder of several businesses, including an Apple store, a Foot Locker, a Lululemon and a liquor store.
The content creator with close to 650,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok could be seen laughing, clapping and shouting “Let’s go!” as she witnessed suspected looters fleeing while she was driven across the city.
Blackwell later continued filming the frenzy on foot, capturing her apparent enthusiasm. “Tell the police they’re either gonna lock me up tonight, or it’s gonna get lit, it’s gonna be a movie,” she said at one point in her videos. Joining a crowd of youngsters loitering in the street, a laughing Blackwell exclaimed at one point: “This is what happens when we don’t get justice in this city.”
“Free iPhones! Free iPhones,” Blackwell cried out, before filming people showing off their stolen electronics. Several smartphones and iPads were seen littering the ground and being stepped on by the looters.
As the rampage unfolded, Blackwell followed the crowds to the Lululemon store in Rittenhouse Square. “Oh, my God! Oh, my God! They entered it!” the woman excitedly cried out in the footage, showing the plunderers breaking into the business. Police then pulled up and proceeded to tackle and apprehend several people outside the store.
