Police: Woman lit stolen vehicle on fire with child inside in Georges Twp.
Police said a Washington County woman who stole a vehicle in Uniontown crashed in Georges Township and then lit the car on fire with herself and a 5-year-old boy inside Wednesday night.
Family members told police Marketta Janay Walker, 24, of Washington is diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and they were in the process of having her committed to a mental health facility before the incident.
State Police Trooper Richard Sizer said the child, who is Walker蘑菇视频 nephew, did not suffer apparent injuries and was not transported to the hospital. Bystanders observed Walker lighting the car on fire and rescued the boy, police said. The child蘑菇视频 name was redacted from court documents. Police said he has special needs and Barnes is his guardian.
Walker蘑菇视频 aunt, Patricia Barnes, told police Walker was at her Washington residence Wednesday morning acting strangely. She contacted Washington County mental health services, who sent someone to talk to Walker, 鈥渂ut they did not feel she needed treatment at that time,鈥� Sizer wrote in the affidavit.
Margaret Walker of Uniontown, the suspect蘑菇视频 mother, contacted Fayette County mental health services and planned to drive her daughter to Highlands Hospital in Connellsville. Barnes drove Walker to the Pershing Court residence with the child, who is handicapped, police said. Once they arrived, police said, Walker refused to get into her mother蘑菇视频 vehicle to go to the hospital.
Her mother told police Walker was talking in a Jamaican accent and behaving erratically. Walker then climbed into the driver蘑菇视频 seat of Barnes鈥� car, striking two vehicles as she drove away with the boy inside and her aunt and mother running after her, according to court documents.
Myrl Hartman told authorities he saw Walker hit a fence post at 1475 Georges Fairchance Road at about 7:30 p.m. He ran up to the vehicle to see if the occupants were alright, but Walker refused to roll down the window. Instead, she put her fingers down her throat, police said. Hartman yelled for someone to call 911 and his friend, Clifford Kay arrived on the scene.
Walker was lighting a piece of paper on fire, sitting in the backseat with the boy, according to the affidavit.
Police said 鈥渢he car was starting to fill up with smoke and he kept yelling at her to roll her windows down,鈥� but she refused. He punched the windows in an attempt to rescue the child, but the glass would not break.
He ran to his truck for a hammer, but ran back when he heard screaming and saw Walker lighting the carpet on fire, officials said.
Kay broke the glass with a hammer and demanded Walker hand over the child, who she was holding, according to paperwork in the case. She refused, and Kay attempted to wrestle the boy from her, but she reportedly grabbed him by the neck and put the child in a choke hold, threatening to 鈥渂reak the baby蘑菇视频 neck,鈥� Sizer wrote.
Another person stopped, and they were able to wrestle the boy away from Walker.
Police said the inside of the vehicle was completely destroyed in the fire.
Uniontown city police assisted state police in the investigation.
Walker is charged with criminal attempt to commit homicide, arson, criminal mischief, theft, terroristic threats, endangering the welfare of children, recklessly endangering another person and two counts of kidnap.
She was arraigned Thursday morning before Magisterial District Judge Wendy Dennis, who set bail at $200,000 in the case. Walker is lodged in Fayette County Prison.
Her preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for 1:30 p.m. May 10 before Dennis.