The streets of Philadelphia are known to be rough and rugged, from the tales of Rocky Balboa in South Philly to the gritty rap crime lessons delivered by Illadelph natives Meek Mill and State Property. However, in reality the finesse is afoot, but in the robbery game you never know whose stuff you’ve just jacked.
Case in point: Egor Kostyuchenko, a mixed martial arts fighter in Philadelphia who, while driving for a mobile takeout delivery service to make extra money between fights, left his car running while doing a delivery. While he was delivering the food, someone else decided to take his car, but little did they know he was about life too.
Jacked!
Ironically, the thieves exited a stolen black Jeep Cherokee and jumped into Egor’s 2008 white Mercedes-Benz. The thieves took the car in downtown Philadelphia at 11th and Race streets, and when Kostyuchenko saw his vehicle leaving the scene, he raced into action. Chasing down his car, the thieves hit some traffic, and Egor saw his moment attempting to open the driver-side door and jumping on it when the thieves began taking evasive measures.
“My car stopped with traffic,” Egor told ABC6 Action News. “I grabbed my door and said, ‘Stop the car, it’s my car. “[He said] don’t touch the car, I’ll kill you.”
As the thieves began to speed away from the scene, Egor affixed his grip and hung on with a judoka grip. However, the thieves were bullish and dangerous with a weapon on them. Eventually, shots they fired shots at Egor from inside the car brazenly.
Where’s The Brotherly Love?
Later, police found the fighter’s phone on the Ben Franklin Bridge, which connects the City of Brotherly Love to Camden, New Jersey, another crime-ridden city. Now, police believe the thieves took his car to New Jersey. Unfortunately for the Ukrainian native, this is the second time he has been robbed in his new city of Philadelphia in less than a year.
“People told me every time, ‘Philadelphia, it’s a different city. You need to be careful,'” Egor continued.
Never was the confirming phrase “facts” more appropriate.
Kostyuchenko is 4-1 in his MMA career. He is undefeated in his past four fights, suffering his lone defeat in his MMA debut. A GoFundMe to raise capital for another car to support his rideshare and delivery driver side hustle has raised $13,596 from 189 donations, proving some in Philly also do care.
