A woman carjacked two cars, crashed into two others, injured several people and hit two pedestrians -- killing one man -- before she was arrested in Delaware Sunday, state police said.
Brittallia Semaan, 30, of New Castle, was arrested by an off-duty law enforcement officer who witnessed the second carjacking, Delaware State Police Master Corporal Heather Pepper said at a press conference.
Monday, Semaan was charged with vehicular homicide, plus kidnapping for one of the carjackings. She was also charged with multiple counts of first-degree robbery, reckless endangering and other charges. She's being held on a bond of $254,000.
The arrest came after a wild string of thefts and crashes that left one man dead.
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The events started Sunday around 9:30 a.m. in New Castle. Police said Semaan entered the passenger side of a car, and the owners -- a 67-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman -- tried, unsuccessfully, to get her out.
Two young people who were in the back seat were able to escape before Semaan drove off in the car, hitting the woman as she did, police said. The woman was hurt, but her injuries were not life-threatening.
Moments later, Semaan hit a pedestrian, 47-year-old Joseph Stanavich of New Castle, police said. He was hospitalized, but died.
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Semaan fled that scene on Route 9 and drove to the parking lot of a SPCA center in Old New Castle, where she hit another pedestrian, police said. That person suffered minor injuries.
She sped off. Police said she then crossed over the center line of Delaware Route 141 and hit a Maserati head-on. The two people in that car suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
A passer-by stopped to help at the scene of that crash. Semaan jumped into that driver's car, police said. Semaan drove off with the car -- with a passenger, a 77-year-old woman, inside.
The driver was dragged a short distance by the car, though he wasn't seriously hurt, police said.
As Semaan sped off again on River Road, she struck a Honda Odyssey minivan from behind, police said. The driver of that van and the passenger still in the Explorer were hurt, though police said their injuries were not life-threatening.
An off-duty Wilimington Police officer who had witnessed the second carjacking then arrested Semaan, police said. He was helped by a former New Castle County police officer, who had also stopped to help.
Pepper said police still don't know the motive for Semaan's actions Sunday, but that they are continuing to investigate. Anyone who witnessed the events should call Delaware State Police Troop 2 at 302-834-2620 or Crime Stoppers at 800-847-3333.
