Home of Philadelphia anti-violence activist broken into while she attended peace rally

A woman on a mission to end the violence in Philadelphia was hit by thieves while she was attending a rally.

“We were hosting an anti-violence even like we do every Saturday,” said Taleah Taylor. She’s a longtime Philadelphia anti-violence activist and says last Saturday while she was getting the community together for peace and voter education someone broke into her Germantown home. 

“I don’t have nothing. We have nothing. They went through everything,” she said. Taylor says a neighbor called her saying someone was ripping the screen off the front window of the home on East Haines Street. It's where she stays with two young men she took in to help them get on the right path and stay out of the streets.   

"You see how we put the screen back and you see right here all of this was completely off,” she said showing us the screen. Taylor says they got home to find the house ransacked. Personal things and furniture gone. She says the most important stuff clothing and things she bought for 19-year old Khaleef Dewitt and 20-year old Lee Jones also gone. They were devastated. 

“One was crying. They were very upset just letting me know everything was gone. Everything that we were working hard to make a home because we just moved in three weeks ago when I took them. I just came back from Delaware to here to make a home for the kids,” she said. 

Inside her home, she showed FOX 29's Shawnette Wilson jewelry left on the floor, a TV she says is damaged after it appears the person couldn't get it off the wall and a door that was locked had been kicked in. 

“They knew what they were doing and they know everything I do in the community,” she said. Taylor says it’s hurtful but it won't stop her from doing what she does for the community. 

“The next event was supposed to be down South Philly then come up to Germantown but instead this Saturday we’re coming out here because I can’t leave my home,” she said. 

Taylor hopes to be able to replace things lost. Particularly for the young men she is housing. 

A GoFundMe page has been set up if you wish to donate, please click here.

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