The Mall Is Not Safe, People

Just before Christmas last year, Elaine Cesaretti was robbed while in the parking lot at Cherry Hill Mall. On Friday, she filed a lawsuit against the mall’s owner. (This kind of stuff is so common even I’m sick of the “wait for it” line.)

What makes the lawsuit a bit more exciting is the list Cesaretti’s lawyer filed with the lawsuit. An open records act — we don’t, uh, have things like that in Pennsylvania¹ — led to this:

Attached to the lawsuit is a 25-page report listing 3,209 responses to the Cherry Hill Mall between Jan. 4, 2004 and Jan. 9, 2007. [...] Reported crimes at the mall range from stolen motor vehicles, shoplifting and purse snatchings to aggravated assault, armed robbery and vandalism.

With about 10 million visitors to the Cherry Hill Mall each year, the crime report “equates to an average of more than two reported crimes a day,” according to the lawsuit.

Geeze, who knew the mall was such a dangerous place? I think I’ll take my chances at Franklin Mills, thank you very much.

¹ Nor can we purchase our liquor from anyone but the state.

Woman sues Cherry Hill Mall in assault, robbery [Camden Courier-Post]