Young teens kidnap woman while stealing SUV outside Walmart, Pennsylvania police say

A 54-year-old grandmother was sitting inside an SUV as her mom and son-in-law were shopping inside Walmart when she was kidnapped by young teenagers, according to local news reports.

The Upper Merion Township Police Department said it was called to the Walmart in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, at about 5:50 p.m. Monday, Jan. 2. Someone had reported a robbery and carjacking of a vehicle in the store parking lot.

“Two unknown female suspects came up to the vehicle, tried to get into the vehicle and eventually were successful with the victim still inside the vehicle,” Lt. Declan Coyle told WPVI.

Once the girls forced themselves into the SUV, they took off with the woman, who was in the passenger seat, police said, according to WPVI.

Soon after, they pulled over and forced the grandma out of the family SUV before driving away, KYW reported. The vehicle was found a few hours later in a Philadelphia neighborhood, about 20 miles away.

The teens — ages 13 and 14 — were identified and arrested on Friday, Jan. 6, according to a news release from Upper Merion Township Police. They were charged with robbery, kidnapping and other offenses related to the carjacking.

They are being held at the Montgomery County Youth Center, police said.

“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 told KYW.

King of Prussia is about 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

This story was originally published January 10, 2023 at 11:01 AM with the headline "Young teens kidnap woman while stealing SUV outside Walmart, Pennsylvania police say."