Mobile Man Gets 30 Years for George County Carjacking With Three Children Inside

LUCEDALE, Miss. — Demetrius Young, a Mobile man, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty in a George County carjacking and kidnapping. Prosecutors say he drove off in a Mississippi woman’s car with her three children still inside after she stopped on U.S. Highway 98 to help him.

Young, 37, pleaded guilty to both felonies before Judge Keith Miller, District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath announced Friday, Oct. 23. McIlrath said the 30-year sentence reflects how serious the crimes were and takes a repeat offender off the streets.

A roadside stop that turned into a crime

Evidence presented at the plea hearing laid out what happened, according to the district attorney’s office. The woman was driving west on Highway 98 in George County with three children when she saw Young’s vehicle broken down in the road.

She pulled over to help. Young asked her for a ride. She told him she could not take him because the children were in the vehicle and there was no room.

Young then pushed her aside, got into her vehicle and sped away with all three children still inside, according to the evidence described in court.

The woman called 911. Law enforcement officers found Young and arrested him a short time later. Prosecutors credited the George County Sheriff’s Office for the quick response. The district attorney’s office has not released the children’s ages or other details about them. It said the children were traumatized and that the woman who stopped to help became a victim of a carjacking.

A prior robbery conviction in Mobile County

Before sentencing, Miller also reviewed Young’s criminal history, which included an earlier robbery conviction in Mobile County, Alabama, according to prosecutors. McIlrath’s office cited that record in calling Young a repeat offender.

The office did not say when the carjacking happened, whether the plea came with a sentencing agreement, or whether any part of the 30-year sentence is suspended.

What the prosecutors said

Assistant District Attorney Justin Lovorn, who handled the case, described how frightening the situation was for the family.

“The danger in this situation was immediate and terrifying. A woman who stopped to help a stranded motorist was suddenly left watching a stranger drive away with three children in her vehicle. The fear these victims experienced is difficult to imagine. We are grateful for the swift response of the George County Sheriff’s Office in locating and apprehending the defendant.”

McIlrath focused on the woman’s decision to stop.

“A simple act of kindness should never end in violence. This woman saw someone in need and did what we hope people in our community will always be willing to do, help one another. This 30-year prison sentence reflects the gravity of these crimes and removes a repeat offender from our community. We will continue to use every tool the law provides to hold violent offenders accountable and keep dangerous offenders off our streets.”

Case at a glance

• Defendant: Demetrius Young, 37, of Mobile
• Charges: Carjacking and kidnapping, both felonies under Mississippi law
• Plea: Guilty to both charges
• Sentence: 30 years in prison
• Judge: Keith Miller
• Prosecutors: District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath’s office; Assistant District Attorney Justin Lovorn
• Where it happened: U.S. Highway 98, westbound, in George County, Mississippi
• Arresting agency: George County Sheriff’s Office
• Prior record cited in court: A robbery conviction in Mobile County, Alabama

Why the case was prosecuted in Mississippi

Young lives in Mobile, but the case was prosecuted in Mississippi because that is where the crime happened. State criminal charges are generally brought in the county where the offense took place, no matter where the defendant lives. The carjacking happened in George County, so the case went through Mississippi’s state courts and not Alabama’s.

McIlrath is district attorney for Mississippi’s 19th Circuit Court District, which covers Jackson, George and Greene counties along and near the Alabama line. Her office prosecutes felonies in those three counties, from the Pascagoula and Ocean Springs area on the coast north to Lucedale and Leakesville.

This was a state case, not a federal one. Carjacking can also be a federal crime in some circumstances, and those cases are heard in U.S. District Court. Here, the charges were brought by the local district attorney under Mississippi law.

Highway 98: a familiar route for Mobile-area drivers

For many people in Mobile County, the stretch of road where this happened is familiar. U.S. Highway 98 runs northwest out of Mobile, through Semmes and the western edge of Mobile County, across the state line and into George County, where it passes Lucedale, the county seat. From there it continues toward Hattiesburg.

George County is a mostly rural county directly west of Mobile County. Many residents commute to jobs on the Mississippi Gulf Coast or in the Mobile area, and Highway 98 is one of the main links between the two states in that part of the region. Long rural stretches with few businesses can leave a driver with a broken-down vehicle a long way from help. That is often when passing motorists stop.

How a guilty plea works

Most criminal cases in the United States end with a guilty plea, not a trial. When a defendant pleads guilty, the judge holds a hearing to make sure the defendant understands the charges and the rights being given up, including the right to a jury trial, and is pleading voluntarily.

The judge must also find a factual basis for the plea. That means the court hears evidence, often summarized by the prosecutor, showing that what the defendant is admitting to actually happened. In this case, the account of the roadside stop and the drive-off with the children came from the evidence presented to Miller at the plea hearing.

At sentencing, judges consider the facts of the crime, its effect on victims, and the defendant’s background, including any criminal record. Prosecutors said Miller was presented with Young’s prior robbery conviction.

Helping a stranded driver safely

Prosecutors praised the woman for stopping, and they said people should keep helping each other. Law enforcement agencies also recommend some precautions when helping a stranger on the road. Common advice includes:

• Call for help first. Calling 911 or a local law enforcement non-emergency line to report a stranded driver gets trained help on the way without putting you at risk.
• Stay in your vehicle with the doors locked if you do stop, and talk through a partly lowered window.
• Do not give rides to strangers, especially when children or other passengers are with you.
• Take the keys with you and never leave the engine running if you get out, even for a moment.
• Park well off the roadway and turn on your hazard lights so other drivers can see you.
• If someone tries to take your vehicle, your safety comes first. Get to a safe place and call 911 right away with a description of the vehicle, the direction it went and anyone inside.

In this case, the woman’s quick 911 call and a fast response by deputies led to Young being found and arrested a short time later, according to prosecutors.

Similar cases close to home

Carjackings that start with a good deed have happened in Mobile, too. In late September, Mobile police investigated a case in which a man who gave a stranger a ride downtown lost his car when the passenger drove off with it in the city’s Baltimore neighborhood. That case is not connected to Young’s. At the time, police reminded residents that offering a stranger a ride carries real risks.

What happens next

Young will be in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Prosecutors did not say whether he plans to challenge the sentence or when he could be eligible for parole or release. In Mississippi, those rules depend on the offense and the terms of the sentence. Because Young pleaded guilty, the usual avenues for a direct appeal are limited.

The George County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, and the 19th Circuit District Attorney’s Office prosecuted it.