A DoorDash driver making a delivery in Folcroft stepped just a few feet from his running Hyundai Sonata to snap a photo of the food he had dropped off — and in that brief window, someone climbed in and drove away. The driver never saw who took his car, but a chain of small coincidences, a fisherman on a nearby bridge and a request for fishing gear, helped police investigate the theft.
According to the Delco Times, the DoorDash driver called 911 to report the theft and tried to flag down another motorist to chase the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. Folcroft Cpl. Christopher Dorman responded to the first block of Folcroft Avenue for the theft report and spoke with the victim before pulling surveillance footage from a nearby 7-Eleven at 714 Delmar Drive.
That footage reportedly showed 47-year-old Philip Berry arriving at the 7-Eleven, exiting the Hyundai for a few minutes, then reentering the vehicle and driving away. Around the same time, a civilian witness who had been fishing off the bridge at Delmar Drive near South Avenue and East Amosland Road told police that Berry had approached him asking for a spare fishing rod, per the Delco Times report.
A Witness Puts It Together
When officers arrived at the scene — about 15 seconds after Berry had made his request for a rod, according to the outlet's account — the civilian witness identified Berry in court as the man he had seen get out of the car, telling him directly, “It was you, because I just saw you get out of the car.”
Berry initially denied taking the car, the paper reports, but after being reminded of his right to remain silent, he continued talking to police and eventually admitted, “Ah yeah, you got me.” He told police he had taken the vehicle after seeing a young man leave it with the door open, per the police statement described in the report. That account was contradicted by the video surveillance, the outlet notes.
Charges and What Comes Next
Berry was charged with theft, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property, and driving without a license. Dorman also issued a description of the Hyundai to surrounding departments as the investigation unfolded, the Delco Times reported.
Berry was held for court on the theft and related charges, with attorney Glen Hoffman reserving argument during the proceeding, according to the outlet. Bail was set at $15,000 with 10 percent required, and Berry remains in custody. His formal arraignment is scheduled for September 30 at the Delaware County Courthouse in Media.
How Pennsylvania Law Treats the Charges
Under Section 3921 and Section 3903 of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code, motor vehicle theft is graded as a third-degree felony carrying up to seven years in prison and a maximum fine of $15,000, regardless of the vehicle's value. Alongside that felony count, the case also includes a charge under 18 Pa.C.S. § 3928 for Unauthorized Use of Automobiles.
A Familiar Pattern for Delivery Drivers
Delaware County maintains a specialized Auto Theft and Insurance Fraud Unit within the District Attorney's Criminal Investigation Division, underscoring how seriously local law enforcement treats vehicle crimes. Statewide data show that nearly half of all motor vehicles stolen across Pennsylvania were left unlocked by their owners beforehand, a pattern that helps explain why idling delivery vehicles remain frequent targets. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's Driver and Vehicle Services NMVTIS FAQ, 1.3 million vehicles are stolen each year and only 63 percent are recovered.
In this case, the driver left the vehicle running during a brief delivery stop. The incident highlights the risk of leaving a vehicle running unattended.
Broader crime data for the region are not included in the account.
Folcroft is the borough where the incident occurred. Cpl. Dorman, who responded to the first block of Folcroft and later reviewed the surveillance footage in this case, previously made regional headlines when he survived being shot seven times during a June incident involving reports of marijuana smoking and drug dealing in Folcroft, with his bulletproof vest absorbing four of the rounds, according to FOX 29 Philadelphia.
