A 7-year-old girl saved her sister and herself during a Nashville carjacking incident Wednesday involving their grandfather, WSMV-TV reported.
The incident began when Elijah McDowell, reportedly armed and masked, allegedly stole a car and later allegedly crashed it on I-440, leading him to flee to a residential area, according to WSMV-TV.
Luis Mena was picking up his granddaughters from daycare when McDowell reportedly confronted them, allegedly attempting to steal Mena’s pickup truck while allegedly holding the family at gunpoint. Despite Mena’s efforts to fight off the attacker, McDowell managed to throw him to the ground, knocking him unconscious, the outlet noted.
Nashville 7-year-old saves sister after grandfather gets carjacked at gunpoint https://t.co/dVLJ2ZmVpP
— WSMV 4 Nashville (@WSMV) October 27, 2023
“What made me conscious again was when one of my little kids cried,” Mena told the outlet. “That was my biggest worry — not only my truck getting stolen, but with my girls in it.” (RELATED: Teenage Girl Saves Two-Year-Old Sister’s Life After Mother Allegedly Attempted To Drown Her In Bathtub)
Amy, 7, managed to escape from the truck with her three-year-old sister, Stephanie, ensuring their safety. Mena expressed immense gratitude to God for Amy’s brave actions, per WSMV-TV.
“The materialistic things come and go. But my girls don’t,” their grandfather told WSMV-TV.
McDowell, who has a history of violent felonies including aggravated assault and narcotics charges, was later apprehended by the police, per the outlet.