Long Island Carjacking Struggle Leaves Woman, 84, Mowed Down In Dust Of Walmart Parking Lot: Police

LONG ISLAND, NY — A woman swiped an 84-year-old woman's SUV inside a Walmart parking lot on Long Island, then mowed her down, leaving her with serious injuries in the dust before splitting Thursday morning, Suffolk police said.

The 84-year-old woman was trying to park her 2013 Subaru Forrester in a parking spot in front of Walmart on Nesconset Highway, when she got out her vehicle to remove a shopping cart that was in the middle of the parking spot, and then Dareine Heller ran to the car, went inside the driver's seat and tried to drive the it away, according to police.

The octogenarian then approached her vehicle, and a struggle ensued with Heller shoving her to the ground, and intentionally running her over, before dragging her for a short distance, police said, adding that with Heller behind the wheel, the SUV then struck a pole, a stop sign, a separate vehicle, and a brick retaining wall before speeding off.

The woman was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries, police said.

Heller was found and placed under arrest at around 1 p.m., and driving to The Home Depot on Pond Path in South Setauket, and the SUV was impounded, according to police.

Heller, 34, of Holbrook, was charged with two counts of second-degree robbery, and second-degree assault, including injuring a victim 65 or older, causing physical injuries, first-degree reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident causing injuries, and two counts of seventh-degree possession of a controlled substance.

Heller is scheduled for arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip on Friday.