The Covington Police Department (CPD) has been ardently trying to find the subjects of a senseless killing at Walmart Monday, searching from Covington to Tennessee.
Marsha Johnson, 65 of Covington, was leaving the Walmart on Industrial Blvd around 7:45 p.m. Monday when a 5-foot, 10-inch, 250-300 pound Hispanic male in his late 20s to early 30s approached her and grabbed her purse.
Johnson fought back, pulling on her purse, according to CPD Capt. Ken Malcom. The victim was then dragged away from her car and into the path of the rear of his car, where she was struck and kicked.
“The driver, in this case the perpetrator, got in his vehicle and backed over the victim,” Malcom said.
Immediately after Johnson was run over, a Good Samaritan ran into the silver Honda with his vehicle.
“But [the silver Honda] backed away from this impact and ran over the victim an additional time, and then another time before they were able to leave the lot,” Malcom said.
The Good Samaritan, who did not want his identity known, said he did what he thought was right.
“The only thing I was thinking in my mind was that was somebody’s grandmother,” he said. “My adrenalin kicked in at the time I knew had to do something.”
“I was thinking if it was my grandmother, I would want someone to try and do anything they could to help.”
The grey 1989-2001 Honda Accord with the Hispanic male driving, and a female seen in the passenger seat, left the Walmart parking lot and traveled south on Hwy. 142.
“Of course every resource we have right now is dedicated to this case,” Malcom said. “We are working 24 hours on this to make sure we bring this guy in as soon as possible.”
After the theft, CPD investigators sent out reports of Johnson’s stolen credit cards and other identification.
Tuesday morning the Visa Card company got a hit that Johnson’s card had been found near the Koch chicken processing plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They then informed the person who found the card to call the Chattanooga Police Department.
Chattanooga police informed CPD investigators of the discovery, and began distributing flyers with the two suspects at and around the Koch plant.
“This plant is not locate adjacent to I-75 it is a good ways away from the interstate,” CPD Capt. Craig Treadwell. “For someone to have thrown the card out of the window on the interstate it did not happen. Someone dropped that card there on the Koch property.”
Also on Tuesday, CPD received a call from the St. George Police Department in South Carolina that a similar robbery had occurred there on Nov. 12 involving a 75-year old woman at a Family Dollar. The woman fought back as her purse was being taken, and the suspects pulled a gun on her and pulled the trigger. However, the gun did not work, according to Treadwell.
“They are extremely dangerous,” Treadwell said. “They’re responsible for one armed robbery in South Carolina possibly, and responsible for a robbery and killing here in Covington — they are extremely dangerous.”
Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the CPD or Det. Jerry Lee Roberts at 770-385-2196 or 678-878-1615 or jerrlee.roberts@covingtonpolice.com.
Crime Stoppers, Walmart and the Covington Police have offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information on the suspects. Call 404-577-8477.
CPD is actively looking for the purse that was taken, and asks anyone who sees a discarded white or tan purse to leave it alone and immediately call the CPD.
