A mother and daughter remained jailed Sunday on felony charges of running over a baby in a stroller at the corner of Military Drive and Martin Luther King Street, Bryanpolice said.
Vanessa Walker, 39, and her 22-year-old daughter, Princess, were arrested Saturday, a day after witnesses told police they saw the car they were driving deliberately slam into a crowd of people, including a 16-month-old in a stroller, police said.
The baby was rushed by helicopter to Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston. The baby’s condition could not be confirmed Sunday. No other major injuries were reported.
“”People there said the baby was stuck up under the car and dragged a little bit,”” said Sgt. Kenny Meadors.
A crowd was fighting Friday evening when the Walkers got into the car, circled the block and then crashed into the group before fleeing, police said.
One witness, who declined to give her name because she said she didn’t want to get involved, said the car ran up a curb and dragged the baby a few feet as a crowd of onlookers began screaming.
Police, based on witness accounts, say Princess Walker was driving the car, but that it was passenger Vanessa Walker who jerked the wheel and directed it into the crowd.
Vanessa Walker was charged with injury to a child, a first-degree felony punishable by between 5 and 99 years behind bars or life in prison. Princess Walker was charged with failing to stop and render aid, a third-degree felony punishable by between 2 and 10 years. Both charges also carry a fine of up to $10,000.
Vanessa Walker – who was arrested on Friday evening for fighting and released on $350 bond early Saturday — was being held in Brazos County Jail on $100,000 bail; her daughter,$75,000.
Between the two, the Walkers have been arrested 21 times in the past 15 years, jail records show.
Princess Walker’s three other arrests were in connection with a pair of assaults that caused injury and interfering with an emergency call. Her mother’s arrest record dates back toFebruary 1996, when she was charged with abandoning or endangering a child.
Since then Vanessa Walker has been charged with a slew of petty offenses, including theft, driving without insurance, speeding in a school zone, driving with an invalid license, not properly securing an animal, and several marijuana possession charges, according to the records.
