Man Dragged Out of Car and Shot by Carjacker in Northeast Philly, Police Say

A man is fighting for his life after he was dragged out of his vehicle by carjackers and then shot in the stomach in Northeast Philadelphia, police said. 

Surveillance video obtained by NBC10 shows four men approach a 2015 silver Mercedes Benz along the 1400 block of East Cheltenham Avenue at 4:46 a.m. Sunday. The men then dragged the 27-year-old driver out of the car.

One of the suspects then pulled out a gun and opened fire. The victim was shot once in the stomach. The suspects then stole the man’s car and drove off. 

The victim was taken to Temple University Hospital where he is currently in critical condition. A family friend identified the man as Raheem Bell.

"I just want him to be okay," Bell's neighbor, Nneka Burnett, told NBC10. "He's a good guy. I just want him to be okay. I just want him to pull through. He has a beautiful family. His mother's a nurse. His father just got honored with the city."

The victim’s identified as Raheem Bell, a well known member of his Oxford Circle community. We’re told he put a Christmas Toy Drive together for the neighborhood and is always willing to help others.

We’ll have reaction at 6. @NBCPhiladelphia https://t.co/g91viZOf0g pic.twitter.com/gPML80BTC1

— Brian Sheehan (@BSheehanTV) April 10, 2022

No arrests have been made and a weapon has not been recovered. 

Police said the stolen Mercedes Benz has the license plate number LFD-2466. They have not released a detailed description of the suspects. 

Neighbors described Bell as a positive fixture in the community who hosted a Christmas toy drive last year for families impacted by the pandemic and recently started a home care company to help those in need. 

“He’s very down to earth,” Chris Dinofa, one of Bell’s neighbors, told NBC10. “Very polite, always smiling, always doing things for the neighbors like helping neighbors shovel.”

Burnett told NBC10 Bell’s family is asking for prayers. 

“His family has been the backbone of our community and I just feel like it’s time we be a backbone to them,” she said. 

If you have any information on the incident or the whereabouts of the stolen vehicle, please call 911 or Philadelphia Police at 215-686-TIPS (8477) or 215-686-8720.