A 25-year-old woman from Delaware County, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for carrying out an armed carjacking in South Philadelphia earlier this year, United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced.
Nateirah Ortiz of Upper Darby was sentenced Wednesday, Dec. 11, to 96 months in prison, five years of supervised release and a $300 special assessment by United States District Court Judge Chad F. Kenney, for one count of carjacking; one count of carrying and using a firearm during, and in relation to, the commission of a crime of violence; and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Officials said Ortiz was indicted on those violations in April of this year. Then she pleaded guilty in Aug., admitting to carjacking a man at around 7 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2024, in South Philadelphia.
As part of her plea, Ortiz also admitted to carrying and using a firearm to commit the crime, according to officials.
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The victim had reported being carjacked on the 1100 block of Washington Ave., according to court documents.
The victim said that while walking to his vehicle, a silver 2018 Toyota RAV4, the defendant -- Ortiz -- demanded his car keys and pointed a gun at him. He complied and gave Ortiz his keys before running to a nearby business to call 911.
Ortiz entered the victim's vehicle and fled the scene, according to officials.
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Just two hours later, police officers on patrol observed the carjacked vehicle traveling on the 3100 block of Kensington Ave. and attempted to conduct a vehicle investigation.
After waiting for the officers to get out of their vehicle, Ortiz fled at a high rate of speed, nearly striking a police vehicle in the process, according to officials. The officers immediately requested other units in the area to begin searching for the carjacked vehicle.
Officials said as police officers drove down Richmond St., they observed that an RAV4 fitting that description had crashed into several cars parked on the 3700 block of Richmond.
The officers then saw Ortiz walking away from the scene, apprehended her, and recovered a loaded handgun from underneath a parked van a few feet away.
“Gunpoint carjackings are terrifying for victims and unsettling for the entire community,” said Romero. “That’s why this office will continue to work hand-in-hand with the Philadelphia Police Department and ATF to prosecute these violent offenders. As Nateirah Ortiz’s sentence shows, committing a carjacking in our city is a life-changing decision. A crime that took just moments will land you in prison for years.”
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