At least 61 arrested following 2 nights of looting in Philadelphia, police say

Businesses across Philadelphia increased their security following two nights of looting across the city.

As of Friday morning, at least 61 people have been arrested in connection to the looting incidents, police said.

The looting began Tuesday night following an afternoon protest in response to all charges being dropped against the Philadelphia police officer who killed Eddie Irizarry in the city's Kensington neighborhood in August.

Officials said that the protest had no connection to the looting incidents.

Officials said Wednesday that at least 30 people were arrested following Tuesday night's incidents. They were charged with a number of crimes including burglary, theft and participating in riot offenses.

There are others who were arrested on the first evening of looting incidents that are still awaiting formal charges, police officials said.

The suspects included Dayjia Blackwell, aka "Meatball," a Philadelphia social media influencer who officials said livestreamed and helped organize the looting that occurred Tuesday night.

Mayor Jim Kenney stated that Blackwell had "created, basically incited the riot."

Blackwell, 21, later spoke with NBC10's Claudia Vargas after being bailed out of jail by her mother.

The looting continued Wednesday night into early Thursday morning.

Overnight, reports of looting began to spark across police radio just before 1:30 a.m. Thursday, with incidents targeting several shops across the city:

• Shoe stores at Magee and Torresdale avenues in Tacony and along the 7500 block of State Road in Mayfair
• A pharmacy on the 2600 block of Lehigh Avenue in the city's Strawberry Mansion area
• A beauty supply shop on the 6800 block of Frankford Avenue in Holmesburg
• A liquor store in Olney along the 730 block of Adams Avenue

Claudia Silmeas, the owner of the beauty supply shop that was targeted, was in tears as she spoke with NBC10. 

“I need help getting everything fixed,” she said. “I just want them to stop. Stop. Just stop. We are innocent of all of this. I just want them to stop.”

At least 25 people were arrested for the looting that took place Wednesday evening, officials said. They were all charged with burglary with some facing other charges as well.

Thursday night, businesses across the city hired private security while police officers were stationed outside several establishments, including drug stores which were frequent targets of the looters.