“Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
Social media influencer known as “Meatball,” whose real name is Dayjia Blackwell, found herself in hot water after livestreaming her participation in a looting spree in Philadelphia last week.
The 21-year-old influencer, who has a significant following on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, was arrested and charged with multiple felonies. Her tearful mugshot has since gone viral, serving as a cautionary tale about the consequences of reckless behavior amplified by social media.
Blackwell, who has over 200,000 Instagram followers and almost 470,000 TikTok fans, was livestreaming her actions throughout the night.
She was seen running through the streets, encouraging her followers to join her, and even boasted about grabbing a bottle of Hennessy from a liquor store. She was eventually arrested while still livestreaming, trying to talk her way out of the situation by claiming she had nothing to do with the looting.
WATCH:
Video shared on social media showed #BLM rioters celebrating the mass looting in Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/cwCqASsAuK
— Andy Ngô ️ (@MrAndyNgo) September 27, 2023
Dayjia Blackwell was among dozens arrested in a flash mob-style raid that targeted multiple stores in Philadelphia’s downtown business corridor. The looting spree was not affiliated with any peaceful protests but was described by Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford as the work of “a bunch of criminal opportunists.”
The stores targeted included high-profile names like Apple, Foot Locker, and Lululemon, among others. Blackwell was charged with six felonies, including burglary, conspiracy, criminal trespass, riot, criminal mischief, criminal use of communication facility, and receipt of stolen property, Daily Mail reported.
After her arrest, Blackwell was released on a $25,000 bail. She later posted an Instagram video stating that she didn’t “even know what happened” but vowed never to repeat such behavior. She also appeared to be selling merchandise to help pay for her legal bills.
More from the New York Post:
The shameless influencer arrested during this week’s Philadelphia riots is no longer grinning after a night in jail — while her family admits they’re “ashamed” of her antics.
“I regret it,” Dayjia Blackwell, the 21-year-old better known online as “Meatball,” told NBC Philadelphia on Thursday after being hit with felony charges for the looting she filmed and cheered on excitedly.
“I just prefer, you know, never loot again, stay out of trouble, never go to jail,” she said.
The influencer’s grandmother then minced no words when discussing her antics.
“What goes through my mind, as a grandmother, is I’m very ashamed. I’m very ashamed to see my [grandchild] there, at that time,” Vashti Fields told Fox 29.
“When I see someone of my blood, that has been there while this is happening … that hurts me deeply.”
Read the full article here
