Toddler OK After Walmart Robbery-turned-carjacking, Monroe Twp., NJ, Police Say

• Police say a shoplifting call at a South Jersey Walmart turned into a carjacking
• A toddler was inside a stolen taxi but was not hurt
• Two suspects from Philadelphia have been arrested and face multiple charges

Shoplifting Call Turns Into Carjacking, Police Say

Two people have been arrested and a toddler was not hurt in a robbery-turned-carjacking that started at a busy South Jersey Walmart store two weeks ago.

The Monroe Township Police Department (Gloucester County) says their officers were called to the store on the Black Horse Pike in Williamstown just after 1:30 Tuesday afternoon, September 9th, for a report of a shoplifting in progress.

According to authorities, a man, later identified as 31-year-old Darrin M. Mitchell of Philadelphia, told an employee that he had a gun. He, along with a woman, 32-year-old Damia Darrah, also of Philadelphia, then entered a taxi and fled the scene.

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An officer located that taxi about a mile away and stopped it at East Malaga and Winslow Roads.

Police continued the events that unfolded from there, saying,

The taxi driver reported that when he stopped the vehicle for police, Mr. Mitchell pressed an object to his back, claimed it was a gun, and ordered the driver to flee. The victim taxi driver bailed from the vehicle. Mr. Mitchell then entered into the driver's seat and fled from the motor vehicle stop in the now stolen vehicle with Ms. Darrah and a toddler-aged child. The vehicle fled to Philadelphia and was not pursued by police.

An investigation, which included fingerprints being lifted from the taxi, which was recovered, led to warrants being issued.

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Arrests Made in Philadelphia

On September 13th, Mitchell was arrested by the Philadelphia Police Department on unrelated warrants and he remains in custody at a jail in Pennsylvania pending extradition. He is charged with carjacking, robbery, endangering the welfare of a child, eluding, and shoplifting.

On September 17th, Darrah was also arrested in Philadelphia and is awaiting extradition. She has been charged with conspiracy to commit carjacking, conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to endanger the welfare of a child, conspiracy to elude police, and conspiracy to commit shoplifting.

The public is reminded that charges are accusations and all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.