Police have arrested a Missouri woman after she tracked down her stolen car and killed two men outside a gas station for the alleged theft.
Demesha Coleman, 35, was charged Thursday with two counts of murder, one count of assault and three counts of armed criminal action after shooting and killing Darius Jackson, 19, and Joseph Farrar, 49.
Police found Farrar next to a gasoline pump shot in the torso and Jackson was on the ground next to the car, also shot in the torso.
A third man was shot in the head during the shooting but survived, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It is unclear which, if any, of the three men may have stolen the vehicle.
TWO ILLINOIS MEN FACE CHILD PORN CHARGES IN UNRELATED CASES
Demesha Coleman, 35, in a booking photo provided by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police. Colemand is charged with two counts of first degree murder, one count of first degree assault and three counts of armed criminal action.
(CREDIT: St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department)
Coleman approached a Hyundai Tucson at a St. Louis Speedie gas station Wednesday night with a man who was also carrying a weapon, police said after examining surveillance footage. Coleman opened the door with his gun raised and began shooting.
Coleman told detectives during a recorded interview that he went to the gas station to retrieve his stolen vehicle. She had no prior criminal record.
TWO ILLINOIS MEN FACE CHILD PORN CHARGES IN UNRELATED CASES
Coleman hails from the Spanish Lake area of St. Louis County.
FILE – In this May 19, 2019 file photo, a lineup of unsold 2019 Tucson sport utility vehicles sits at a Hyundai dealership in Littleton, Colo.
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
Thefts from Kia and Hyundai vehicles have skyrocketed this year after a TikTok trend showed users how to use a USB cable to connect the vehicles. The number of thefts that police and parents have blamed on this trend prompted a class action lawsuit against automakers.
TWO SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH TEXAS HUMAN TRAFFICKING OPERATION, 21 VICTIMS RESCUED
“Unfortunately, they’re very easy to steal,” Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said in October when discussing the deaths of four teenagers who allegedly stole a Kia Sportage and crashed it in upstate New York, The Independent reported.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“You can search for the information that has been published,” Gramaglia continued. “There are numerous cities across the country that are investigating or have filed lawsuits against Kia because of the ease with which they can steal these cars.”
Associated Press contributed to this report.
