GRANDMOTHER FOILS GRANDSON'S KIDNAPPING/CARJACKING PLANS

(WHITE MARSH, MD) – A grandmother’s use of her in-car navigation assistant helped her foil her grandson’s attempted trip to New York with her car and with her and three other grandchildren along for the ride against their will this weekend along Interstate 95 in Baltimore County.

The accused is identified as Darius T. Johnson, 22, of Baltimore, Md. After consultation with the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office, Johnson was charged with kidnapping, kidnapping of a child under 16, false imprisonment, carjacking, second degree assault, unauthorized use of motor vehicle, and theft over $10,000. He was taken before a Baltimore County District Court commissioner and held at the county detention center on $ 500,000 secured bond.

At about 5:30 p.m. on August 25, 2012, Maryland State Police from the JFK Highway Barrack responded to northbound I-95 near Abingdon for the report of a crash. When they arrived they found no crash, but found the victim, Ardella Eaddy, 68, of Baltimore, and three of her grandchildren, ages 4, 8, and 12, in her Buick Lacrosse on the side of I-95. Eaddy reported that another grandson, later identified as Johnson, had abducted her and her three other grandchildren, but had recently fled the scene.

Eaddy told troopers she had agreed to take Johnson to a location in the Nottingham area of Baltimore to pick up some belongings from a home there. She said when they came back out to her car, Johnson told her he was taking the car and going to New York. Eaddy was able to get into the passenger’s seat and attempted to remove the keys from the ignition. She said Johnson assaulted her and said he was taking the car to New York. Eaddy refused to leave because her other three grandchildren, cousins of the suspect, were in the back seat.

Troopers were told by Eaddy that when Johnson headed north on I-95 from I-695 in White Marsh, she used the vehicle’s On-Star and called for help. According to Eaddy, On-Star was able to shut-off the vehicle’s engine and the car coasted to a stop along northbound I-95 near Abingdon. She said the suspect fled from the car on foot into a wooded area.

State troopers from the JFK Highway Barrack issued a lookout and were joined in their search for the suspect by troopers from the Bel Air Barrack and Aviation Command, as well as Baltimore County Police K-9, and Harford County Sheriff’s Office deputies. A short time later, two troopers spotted Johnson walking along Rt. 24 near Rt. 7. He was arrested without incident.

The victim and her grandchildren did not require medical treatment. She was able to return home with her car and three other grandchildren.