LEWES, Del. - 27-year-old Justice Bowser from Philadelphia was arrested Thursday morning after police say she stole a car from a home on Valley Drive in Lewes.
According to Delaware State Police, the 56-year-old woman who lives in the home started her car remotely from inside the residence around 5:48 a.m. Thursday morning. She then walked outside to put her purse in the vehicle and to get something from the rear hatch. She heard a car door shut and reapproached the driver's side to find Bowser standing by the door and a child seated on the passenger side.
The victim tried to remove Bowser when she got into the vehicle, but police say Bowser stabbed her in the arm and drove away.
About 25 minutes later, police observed the car on Coastal Highway south of Broadkill Road and initiated a traffic stop, but Bowser fled.
Later Thursday morning, the vehicle was observed again in Middletown and police were able to stop it. Bowser was taken into custody without further incident. A search revealed that Bowser had a knife in her possession.
The 1-year-old child from the passenger seat is an undisclosed relative of Bowser and was not injured. The 56-year-old victim was treated at an area hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Bowser was charged with endangering the welfare of a child as well as multiple felonies including first degree assault, theft of a motor vehicle, disregarding a police officer signal, and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony. She is being held at the Sussex Correctional Institution on a $191,000 cash bond.
A neighbor on the street, Richard Bickel, said that the crime concerns him, "It makes you more alarm for the kids and everything and also for the older community because you never know."
Delaware State Police said that the winter season brings an increase in carjacking and break ins, "Car safety doesn't stop with the driveways. This time of year we also see the car idling, whether it's in a convenience store parking lot, whether it's 'I'm just going to run into the drug store to grab something', and these cars are left idling and unsecure or the doors left unlocked. We just want to reassure the public, you can't do that. These are crimes of opportunity and there are people out there just waiting to prey on that moment and victim that's unsuspecting." said Senior Cpl. Jason Hatchell.Â
