PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia man was convicted Monday of a brutal beating and attempted carjacking of a female Uber driver last year near La Salle University.
Charles Young, 33, was found guilty of aggravated assault and robbery in the violent April 2022 carjacking of a woman who was waiting to pick up an Uber passenger.
Prosecutors said Young and 32-year-old Amir Quazzani started to harass the victim about being parked in the crosswalk. Young and Quazzani then began to repeatedly punch and kick the woman in the face until she blacked out, investigators said.
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The pair attempted to steal the woman's car, but they were unable to flee due to traffic. They evaded police for less than a day before being brought into custody.
Prosecutors said a La Salle student who witnessed the beating and called police provided "crucial testimony" in Young's trial.
"This case is an excellent example of why witness cooperation is so important," District Attorney Larry Krasner said. "We're able to achieve justice when the public steps up and assists law enforcement in solving crimes."
Young is due back in a Philadelphia court for sentencing in December. Quazzani's trial is slated to start in 2024.