Woman carjacked nearly twice in one year

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Memphis Police say fewer carjackings, higher car thefts so far this year.

The department told Action News 5 that from January 1 to July 5 of 2022, Bluff City had 210 carjackings. So far, there have been 187 for the same dates this year.

Last year Memphis saw 3,698 car thefts from January 1–July 5, 2022. This year, same dates, have seen a whopping 8,209.

“I just so happen to be one of them,” said Maddie Johnson. “And I was almost a victim twice.”

Johnson, who comes from the Southside of Chicago, moved to Memphis to teach.

“I wanted to make a difference,” Johnson told Action News 5. “Never would’ve expected this to happen but here we are.”

According to Johnson, her ordeal with this growing Memphis crime started last July.

“I had gotten a second job during summer break to keep busy and make some extra money,” Johnson said. “I got off one night from a shift at Flip-Side and a man just jumped in my car.”

Johnson said the man demanded her keys and her cash, to which she obliged.

“Then I just watched my car drive off,” said Johnson.

The suspect is 25-year-old Milta Dunn, who is still behind bars according to police.

Johnson said that fact made her feel a little safer, until June 24 of this year.

That’s because a little over a week ago Johnson was getting home to her Cooper-Young shotgun home and noticed a strange car parked nearby.

“I was just going to wait until they pulled away but instead they pulled up and blocked me in my driveway,” said Johnson.

That’s when she says two of the men got out of the car but she didn’t wait to see what they wanted.

“I threw the car in drive and sped off,” Johnson told Action News 5.

According to Johnson, investigators have one person of interest but we could not confirm that with MPD.

However, the entire incident has the 25-year-old a little shaken up.

“I just sort of sprint inside now, I have a new surveillance system and a motion-activated flood light,” she said.

However, her family wants her to come back to Chicago’s Southside neighborhood.

“My family wants me to come back,” Johnson said. “But there’s work to do in Memphis. It takes people like you and me and every ordinary citizen to come together and help the community.”

If you have any information about this crime or any unsolved crime you could earn a cash reward by calling CrimeStoppers.

That number is 901-528-CASH.

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