U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero announced that Kaleb Bridges, 20, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Gerald McHugh to 166 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release for robbing Mayfair Pizza, 7424 Frankford Ave., and shooting two employees.
On Dec. 6, 2023, Bridges pleaded guilty to charges of Hobbs Act robbery and carrying, using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The charges stem from Bridges’ actions on the night of March 8, 2023, when he entered Mayfair Pizza just before closing time. He produced a gun and demanded that an employee empty the cash register and place the money into a bag. After she had done so, Bridges pulled away before the employee could release the bag. Bridges then shot the employee in the shoulder. She ducked down below the counter and Bridges fired another round, which struck a refrigerator.
The employee’s father, who owns the business, witnessed what happened. As Bridges made his way to the door with the bag of stolen money, the employee’s father then struggled with Bridges in an effort to keep him from fleeing. During the struggle, Bridges’ gun fell to the floor. Bridges retrieved and fired it, this time striking the employee’s mother, the co-owner of the pizza parlor. At that point, the employees were able to gain control of the defendant and hold him until police arrived and took him into custody. Police officers rushed the shooting victims to the hospital, where one victim was treated and released within a few hours. Her mother spent several weeks in the hospital recovering from her injuries.
“Kaleb Bridges’ decision to rob this family business at gunpoint and shoot two members of that family was life-changing for the victims,” Romero said. “While this crime occurred in a matter of minutes, it will long stay with the two women he shot and the witnesses who struggled to restrain him. It’s also changed the course of Bridges’ life, which, for the next decade-plus, will be lived locked away in prison.”
“The brazen violence displayed by Kaleb Bridges is a threat to the safety of every person in our city,” said Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel. “This case is a chilling example of how a robbery can escalate into a shooting, leaving innocent people injured and a community shaken. I applaud the collaborative efforts by the ATF, our detectives and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in holding this defendant accountable for his actions. This sentence sends a clear message that we will not tolerate this kind of violence in our neighborhoods, and that we will work tirelessly to bring those who commit such crimes to justice.” ••
