UPDATED 4/5/12 @ 2:30 p.m.
According to the police report for the below case, Zakee Terrell Rembert, 19 of Upper Darby, lied to police about his identity upon being asked for his identification. Rembert allegedly reported his identity to police as Emilio Vasquez, born April 2, 1992, but could not provide his social security number.
As he was being taken out of the Sedan by Limerick Police, Rembert ran and was later caught by Lower Pottsgrove Police. When he was processed, police were able to reveal Rembert's true identity, and his birthdate as Aug. 27, 1992.
Rembert was found to have dropped the loaded handgun, along with 13 individually wrapped bags of marijuana. He told officers he ran because he had a court date approaching, and claimed to have not smoked any marijuana.
He was arraigned on $7,000 cash bail and sent to MCCF.
ORIGINAL POST
The following release was submitted by Chief Bill Albany:
On Tuesday, March 27 at approximately 9 p.m., Limerick Police responded to the Philadelphia Premium Outlet Mall on a reported theft at the store. While checking the area for the suspects, Officer Tim DiGregorio saw the occupants of a Chevrolet Sedan acting in a suspicious manner.
The vehicle proceeded to exit the mall and the officer observed several Motor Vehicle Code violations. The vehicle was stopped a short distance away and upon approaching it Officer DiGregorio detected the odor of marijuana. During the subsequent investigation a male passenger ran from the vehicle and discarded a loaded handgun and a bag that contained several smaller bags of marijuana.
Arrested and charged with weapons and drug law related offenses was Zakee Rembert, age 19 of the 300 block of Beverly Road in Upper Darby. Rembert was transported to Montgomery County Correctional Facility in lieu of bail.
The driver of the vehicle, a 20 year old female whose name is being withheld by police, is suspected of operating under the influence and police are awaiting blood lab results prior to taking further action.
A second passenger of the vehicle, a convicted felon and sex offender, was released due to a lack of evidence of criminal activity. This is another incident in a continuing trend of violent offenders being apprehended at the Philadelphia Premium Outlet Mall.
For all this, Rembert is now free on bail, having secured bail from a bail bondsman. Do you feel safe? Are you happy that the Criminal Justice System accomodates these people in this way? Commit one crime, then be permitted to go commit another. And he associates with a convicted felon and registered sex offender. All this, while your spouse and children rub elbows with these people at the Philadelphia Premium Outlets. While the Constitution of the United States guarantees our Right to bail, Rembert's bail should have been set much higher on this second offense, and he should be sitting in prison awaiting his trial, not wandering the streets. I believe Magisterial District Judge Gadzicki really dropped the ball on this one. I'll be watching to see how many charges are dropped when the case comes to trial. Rembert will be walking free and laughing about this experience.
A bench warrant was issued for the arrest of Zakee Rembert from Montgomery Co. Common Pleas Court, on 7/24/2012. Rembert is listed as FTA (failure to appear) for his trial. That means he skipped on his bail and is a fugitive from justice. When you hear all these politicians complaining about gun violence, keep in mind that our criminal justice system is a co-conspirator in this violence. Here you had a criminal with a firearm, and you basically let him go free. If and when Rembert kills someone, the blood will also be on the courts' hands.