A brave 7-year-old girl rescued her younger sister when a carjacker stole their grandfather's truck as he was picking them up from a Nashville daycare center on a Wednesday afternoon.
According to information from the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD), Elijah Malik McDowell, a convicted felon on probation out of Rutherford County, had earlier carjacked a black Dodge Charger, holding the 35-year-old victim at gunpoint near the Super 8 Motel on Murfreesboro Pike. McDowell, 27, abandoned the stolen vehicle and firearm after police used a spike strip to deflate the car's tires, causing him to crash on the right side of the I-440, as reported by local news station WSMV.
Subsequently, McDowell tried to carjack Luis Mena's truck after Mena had picked up his granddaughters, 3-year-old Stephanie and 7-year-old Amy, from daycare. A struggle ensued as McDowell, wearing a ski mask, attempted to force Mena out of the vehicle.
During the altercation, Mena lost consciousness, and McDowell fled in the truck with Stephanie and Amy in the back seat. However, the cry Mena heard came from Stephanie, who had managed to exit the truck with her sister before McDowell drove off.
Mena recounted the brave actions of his granddaughter, Amy, who jumped from the truck and pulled her sister to safety.
Detectives from the Specialized Investigations Division’s Neighborhood Safety Unit, who were already pursuing McDowell, located the stolen Toyota Tundra pickup truck on Sadler Avenue. The suspect abandoned the vehicle and attempted to flee into the woods and onto the railroad tracks, where a police canine team apprehended him.
McDowell received treatment for dog bites to his foot at a hospital and was charged with several offenses, including two counts of carjacking, unlawful gun possession by a convicted felon, aggravated assault for driving at the two children, and more. His bond was set at $211,000 by a judicial commissioner.
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