Hundreds of mourners, including Mayor Michael Nutter, gathered for the funeral this morning Of Latoya J. Smith and her baby daughter Rimanee Asia Kamiya Camp, killed June 11 when a driver fleeing police slammed into a crowded Feltonville sidewalk.
Dressed in matching white dresses and wearing tiaras, mother and daughter lay together in a single coffin at Bala United Methodist Church in Bala Cynwyd.
With eight clergy leading prayers and the Philadelphia mayor seated in the pews, the service had the air of a state funeral.
Smith and her daughter, who were killed with two other children, have come to symbolize the many victims of the criminal violence that has plagued the city in recent years.
Rimanee was just two days shy of her first birthday when she was killed by a teenager fleeing police. Her mother was 22.
"Not just the city of Philadelphia feels the pain," Nutter told the overflow crowd, some of whom wept throughout the service. Several mourners nearly collapsed with grief when they laid eyes on the coffin.
Today's was the last of three funeral services for the victims of the gruesome chaos that exploded around 7:30 p.m. when 18-year-old Donta Craddock lost control of his car and ran into a crowd near 3rd and Annsbury Streets.
Craddock, who had an extensive criminal record as a juvenile, was being chased by police after allegedly attempting to steal a motorcycle at gunpoint.
Six-year-old Aaliyah Griffin, another of his victims, was buried Tuesday. Gina Rosario, 7, was buried Wednesday.
Craddock has been charged with murder, vehicular homicide, conspiracy to commit murder, robbery, carjacking, gun charges and other offenses.
Contact staff writer David O'Reilly at 215-854-5723 or doreilly@phillynews.com.
|
|
|
|
|
|
MOST POPULAR PHILLY.COM PHOTOS
NEWS
Philly.com Promotions
