Dayjia Blackwell “Meatball”: Looting Charges, Plea, and Sentence

Dayjia Blackwell, the Philadelphia influencer known online as “Meatball,” pleaded guilty in June 2024 to two charges tied to her role in the September 2023 citywide looting she broadcast on Instagram Live. The Dayjia Blackwell “Meatball” looting case ended with five years of probation, 150 hours of community service, and a $10,000 fine, rather than prison time.¹

What Blackwell Did on the Night of September 26, 2023

Blackwell was 21 and had about 185,000 Instagram followers and 466,000 TikTok followers when she went live that evening.² She followed crowds through multiple Center City locations, including the Apple store on Walnut Street, a Lululemon, and a state liquor store, then moved on to the Roosevelt Mall in Northeast Philadelphia.³

On the stream she laughed, urged viewers to smash windows, and shouted “free iPhones” as the Apple store was ransacked and its anti-theft alarms went off.⁴¹ Prosecutors later said she had been present at seven locations where property was destroyed or burglarized.⁵

The Arrest and Original Charges

Police tracked her in real time through her own livestream and arrested her on the 5600 block of Rising Sun Avenue after spotting her at a gas station.⁶ Then-Mayor Jim Kenney said Blackwell had “created, basically incited, the riot.”⁷

She was initially charged with six felonies and two misdemeanors: burglary, criminal trespass, conspiracy, riot with the intent to commit a felony, criminal mischief, criminal use of a communication facility, and disorderly conduct.⁴ Her mother bailed her out, and the following day her Instagram account was used to sell $50 branded beanies under the slogan “Free Meatball.”²

The Guilty Plea and Sentence

The case was held for trial after a March 2024 preliminary hearing.⁸ On June 20, 2024, Blackwell pleaded guilty to two counts: riot with the intent to commit a felony and criminal use of a communication facility. Prosecutors dropped the remaining charges, including burglary, criminal trespass, conspiracy, criminal mischief, receiving stolen property, and disorderly conduct.⁹

The criminal-use-of-a-communication-facility count comes from 18 Pa.C.S. § 7512, a third-degree felony carrying a maximum of seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine for using a communication device to commit, cause, or facilitate a felony.¹⁰ Prosecutors applied it because she used Instagram to broadcast and egg on the looting as it happened.

The judge imposed five years of probation on each count, 150 hours of community service through the Community Life Improvement Program, and a $10,000 fine.¹¹ No social media restrictions and no restitution were publicly reported as conditions of her probation.¹² Her attorney said she was “accepting responsibility” and would use her platform for “positivity moving forward,” possibly documenting her community service.¹

Journalism or Incitement

The case drew debate about where livestreaming ends and encouragement begins. Rachel Levinson-Waldman of the Brennan Center for Justice asked whether Blackwell was “livestreaming crimes in progress” or whether “the crimes [were] facilitated by her livestreams.”² Prosecutors took the second view. Her attorney, Jessica Mann, said Blackwell had been trying to document “public outrage” and called media coverage of her arrest racist.¹³ Blackwell herself said in a televised interview two days after her arrest that she preferred to “never loot again, stay out of trouble, never go to jail.”⁵

What Set Off the Looting

The looting followed a peaceful afternoon protest earlier that day over Municipal Judge Wendy Pew’s decision to dismiss all charges against Philadelphia police officer Mark Dial, who had fatally shot 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry during an August 2023 traffic stop.¹⁴ Body-camera footage showed Dial firing six shots through Irizarry’s closed driver-side window within seconds of leaving his cruiser, and no firearm was found in the car.¹⁵ Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford drew a sharp line between the demonstrators and the looters, calling those who ransacked stores “criminal opportunists.”¹⁶

Reality TV and a Bigger Following

Blackwell’s public profile grew while her case moved through the courts. She joined the cast of Baddies Caribbean, the fifth season of a Zeus Network reality series, which premiered on May 5, 2024, roughly six weeks before her guilty plea.¹ By the time of her sentencing, her Instagram following had climbed to nearly one million, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.¹⁷

She showed up to her June 2024 sentencing wearing a necklace that read “Baddie.” The judge noticed and told her he hoped she would not wear it to court again, suggesting she swap it for one that says “Goodie.”¹

1
FOX 29 Philadelphia. Philly Influencer Meatball Pleads Guilty in City-Wide Looting Spree
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The Philadelphia Inquirer. Dayjia Blackwell TikTok Philly Vandalism
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The Philadelphia Inquirer. Dayjia Blackwell Meatball Instagram Looting Trial
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PhillyVoice. Instagram Influencer Meatball Philadelphia Looting
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NBC Philadelphia. Social Media Influencer Talks Livestreaming Looting Arrest
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6ABC. Philadelphia Looting Dayjia Blackwell Instagram Influencer Arrested
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NBC Philadelphia. Another Night of Looting Erupts in Philadelphia
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NBC Philadelphia. Influencer Meatball Headed to Trial After Being Arrested While Livestreaming Looting
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Audacy KYW Newsradio. Dayjia Blackwell Meatball Philly Social Media Pleads Guilty Looting
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Pennsylvania General Assembly. 18 Pa.C.S. § 7512 – Criminal Use of Communication Facility
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NBC Philadelphia. Meatball Influencer Philadelphia Riot Probation
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6ABC. Dayjia Blackwell Meatball Philadelphia Looting Sentenced Probation
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New York Post. Lawyer for Influencer Meatball Claims Reports on Her Arrest Are Racist
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WHYY. Protest Over Eddie Irizarry Killing After Judge Drops Charges Against Mark Dial
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NBC Philadelphia. Verdict Mark Dial Trial Murder Philadelphia Police Shooting Eddie Irizarry
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NPR. Philadelphia Stores Looting Arrests
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The Philadelphia Inquirer. Dayjia Meatball Blackwell Philadelphia Sentenced Instagram