Teens charged in carjacking of US Rep. Scanlon

Five teenagers face charges in Delaware after they were found in a vehicle that was stolen at gunpoint in Philadelphia from U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon.

State police say Scanlon's blue Acura MDX was located Wednesday night in Newark, Delaware. That's about 45 miles from Philadelphia.

The FBI charged a 19-year-old man with carjacking, a weapons charge, and aiding and abetting. A 14-year-old girl and three boys, ages 13, 15 and 16, are charged with receiving stolen property. The 15-year-old also is charged with resisting arrest and criminal mischief. Scanlon was unharmed.

Speaking during a press conference late Thursday afternoon, Scanlon said the incident was "obviously a scary thing to have happen" and added that she was thankful no one was hurt. She said the carjacking occurred shortly after she had returned to the parking area at the park.

As she spoke with one of her team members, Scanlon said another vehicle pulled up. A short time later, she noticed people "fidgeting" in the other vehicle, and then some of the occupants came out with guns and told Scanlon to give them the keys to her car, which she said she did because "I was afraid someone would do something more stupid than just stealing a car."

Scanlon also noted it wasn't the first time she has been at a crime scene this year, as she was present in the House during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

Scanlon said President Biden spoke with her Thursday to see how she was faring after the incident.

"I was quite touched that the president reached out to me," she said. "It was mostly a personal call, but we talked a little bit about my frustration with not getting the NRA and right to do common sense gun control measures."

Scanlon has also expressed gratitude to city police for their quick response. She also thanked her local police department and the Sergeant at Arms in Washington for working with Philadelphia police "to ensure her continued safety."

IMAGE: AP