A woman is in custody after being considered a person of interest in a series of stabbings and hit-and-run crashes that left at least six people injured, some of them critically, on Thursday evening, according to police in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
The series of violent crimes, that appear to be random, took place Thursday evening over a span of around an hour and a half in Capitol Heights and Lanham, police said. She was in police custody as of 11:30 p.m.
Deputy Police Chief James McCreary said during a news conference two people are critically injured — a teenager who was struck during a hit-and-run crash and then stabbed, as well as a man who was wounded at a gas station during a separate attack. Four others were injured during hit-and-run crashes but are expected to survive.
Before she was taken into custody, the department shared a photo of the person of interest who police described as “a woman who is driving a dark-colored sedan.”
It started just after 5 p.m. in the area of Forest Park Drive and Ritchie Road in Capitol Heights. A woman who was walking on the sidewalk was stuck by a car and suffered minor injuries, McCreary said.
Around 10 minutes later, McCreary said officers responded after the driver allegedly hit two more pedestrians nearby at 20 Ritchie Road. She’s believed to have exited the car and stabbed a 15-year-old who was critically injured. An adult man was also injured but is expected to survive.
Another pedestrian was then struck around 5:30 p.m. in the 1400 block of Addison Road South in Capitol Heights, police said. The man suffered injuries that aren’t considered to be life threatening.
Shortly after, an additional pedestrian was reportedly struck in the 1000 block of Addison Road South. His injuries are considered minor, according to McCreary.
Police then responded to a stabbing at a gas station in the 9100 block of Annapolis Road in Lanham. Police said a man was stabbed and critically injured.
When asked whether the woman identified as a person of interest is a suspect, McCreary said she has not been classified as a suspect “at this time,” as the investigation is ongoing.
“This is very concerning,” McCreary said. “It’s very frightening which is why we want to make sure we alert the public immediately.”
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