Police searching for 2 women accused of Walmart carjacking
UPPER MERION, Pa. (CBS) -- Upper Merion police need your help finding two women accused of carjacking someone in the Walmart parking lot on North Gulph Road in King of Prussia around 6 p.m. Monday.
Detectives at the Upper Merion Police Department have recovered the stolen vehicle. Now, they're looking for the suspects.
"It's scary because of the area that we live in," Becky Lee, a Walmart customer from Berwyn, said. "That's why it's scary. Because being a mom with children."
Police say the victim, a 54-year-old grandmother, was sitting in the passenger seat of a Mazda SUV, waiting for her mom and son-in-law to finish shopping when two strangers approached.
"I'm not sure if their intent right away was to steal a vehicle per se or look for a crime or opportunity to steal belongings left in a car or a vehicle that was unlocked," Lt. Declan Coyle said.
Police say the two women forced their way into the SUV, then drove away with the victim still inside while threatening her life.
"The gravity of this type of a crime to be perpetrated by what looks like these juveniles or possibly younger teens is concerning to us," Coyle said.
A short distance away, the suspects pulled over, forced the victim out and took off with the vehicle.
"People are getting really desperate," a Walmart customer said. "It's getting really bad out here. You have to watch your surroundings."
The stolen SUV was found abandoned a few hours later in Philadelphia's Brewerytown neighborhood on North Dover Street.
Lee says she no longer feels safe shopping at this store.
"I think I'll do more online shopping," Lee said. "So, to do pickup instead of shopping inside."
Others, like Lauren Rawle, say they'll continue shopping at the store, but take precautions like learning martial arts.
"I keep myself protected," Rawle, of Douglasville, said. "So I feel safe. If anyone wanted to come at me, I think they'd regret it."
Meantime, Walmart said in a statement to CBS Philadelphia:
The safety of our customers and associates is always a top priority. We will work with law enforcement and must refer you to them for information.
The victim wasn't hurt.
Anyone with info is asked to call police.
