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Demesha Coleman, 35, of Missouri, was arrested on Wednesday, December 21, after allegedly killing suspected carjackers. The victims have been identified as Joseph Farrar, 49, and Darius Jackson, 19. Another male victim was also injured in the shooting and was in a critical state.
KSDK reported that Coleman’s Hyundai Tucson SUV was stolen, and she had tracked the car to the gas station and allegedly opened fire at the suspected carjackers. Farrar and Jackson were declared dead at the scene. The third male victim was rushed to the hospital.
According to law enforcement officials, surveillance footage has been recovered that shows Demesha Coleman approaching a Tucson SUV that she believed belonged to her, and opening fire. Police did not immediately confirm who stole the car among the three men who were shot.
Demesha Coleman turns from theft victim to murder suspect after opening fire at alleged carjackers at a gas station
On Wednesday, Demesha Coleman, a resident of Spanish Lake, Missouri, tracked down the men who allegedly stole her Hyundai Tucson SUV. She found them at a gas station near North Broadway Street and Riverview Boulevard. Coleman then opened fire at the men and eventually killed them. The incident took place shortly before 10 pm CST.
Surveillance footage showed Coleman arriving at the parking lot of the St. Louis gas station. She was accompanied by another male, whose identity has not yet been revealed. According to police, both were carrying guns.
Demesha Coleman was then seen approaching a Tucson SUV. She opened the front passenger door, while the man in the driver’s seat tried to open his. Coleman pointed her gun and shot the man, which resulted in a shootout.
When police arrived at the scene, they discovered 49-year-old Farrar and 19-year-old Jackson with shots to their torsos. Jackson was found lying on the ground next to the car, while Joseph Farrar was found dead next to a gas pump. Apart from Farrar and Jackson, a third male was found near the parking lot of the St. Louis gas station, where he was shot in the head. The victim, however, was alive and was immediately rushed to Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
During the investigation, the Missouri woman informed the cops that she had gone to the gas station to get her stolen car back. According to court documents, she had also identified herself in the surveillance footage. The police did not immediately confirm whether any of the victims had actually stolen the car. Demesha Coleman was charged with three counts of armed criminal action, one count of first-degree assault, and two counts of first-degree murder.
Police discovered that Coleman did not have any criminal history prior to the incident. As a result of the shooting, Farrar and Jackson died on the spot, while the third victim was wounded. However, Demesha Coleman's case is not one of its kind.
Lately, police have pointed out how thefts of specific vehicles are rising a lot, especially in the St. Louis area. This has resulted in further violence, like a shootout in Coleman’s case. The surveillance footage captured Demesha firing her gun first after opening the SUV’s door and killing the victim.
Police state that thefts of cars like Hyundai and Kia have likely seen a rise due to the viral TikTok trend
According to law enforcement officials, cases of Kia and Hyundai thefts have seen a steep rise in the St. Louis area after a TikTok trend went viral. The video showed ways to hotwire these cars, which likely increased cases of theft. According to the Independent, car manufacturers are also facing a lawsuit as a result of this.
In October 2022, a group of teenagers died in a car crash that was connected to the viral TikTok video. The teenagers reportedly stole the Kia Sportage vehicle in New York City and ended up in a car crash shortly before 7 am local time. The victims were aged between 14 and 19. Speaking about the incident, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said,
“They’re very easy unfortunately to steal.”
Gramaglia further added,
“You can look up the information that’s been put out there. There are numerous cities across the country that are looking at looking into or have filed lawsuits against Kia because of the ease that they are able to steal these cars.”
Demesha Coleman's case is not unique in nature. Another similar incident happened on the north side of St. Louis on Halloween. Two teenagers were shot dead while they were allegedly stealing a Kia from a woman’s home. The woman tracked her car in two separate locations before recovering it. It has not yet been discovered who shot the boys.
However, in Coleman's case, netizens have extended support to the Missouri woman and claimed that she has been charged wrongfully.
As mentioned earlier, Demesha Coleman was arrested and charged with several counts of murder and assault.The Spanish Lake woman is expected to appear in court on Thursday, December 29.
