Victim carjacked in Upper Darby, taken on terror ride that ends in Lower Merion
A Norristown woman faces charges of carjacking a driver on Lansdowne Avenue in Upper Darby, before crashing in Lower Merion, according to the Mainline Times.
Upper Darby police have charged Shaina Mendez, 36, of Norristown with robbery, conspiracy, robbery of a motor vehicle, theft, kidnapping and other charges in relation to the New Year’s Eve incident.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Upper Darby police, the victim said he was stopped at the red light near Winding Way when he saw an unoccupied car drift backward at Garrett and Lansdowne.
Shortly thereafter, a woman, later identified as Mendez, and a man approached the passenger side of his vehicle and entered against his will.
He said Mendez reached in the open front window and pulled the door open while the man got in the back seat.
The male in the back seat demanded to switch places and took over driving. The vicitm described the male carjacker as a black man about 30 years old, tall and broad-shouldered with a bushy beard, wearing a hooded sweatshirt.
The victim said the carjacker, who appeared to be under the influence of drugs, drove erratically through various neighborhoods before ultimately striking another vehicle in Lower Merion, at which point the male driver fled the scene.
Mendez remained with the vehicle and was taken along with the carjacking victim to Lankenau Hospital.
