On November 1st, 2011 at about 4:00 p.m., Joel Thomas, Mabel Thomas and 4 year old Bobby Crawford, were walking down the sidewalk near the corner of 18 Avenue South and Walton Street when they were approached by the above Nikki Moneque Caldwell who was driving a 1993 Maroon Toyota Camry. Caldwell stopped the car near where the three were were walking and got out of the car which was also occupied by an unidentified male passenger.
Caldwell was irate and began accusing Joel Thomas of having assaulted her on some occasion a week or two earlier. Thomas, who claimed he did not know Caldwell, denied her allegations and said she must have the wrong person.
At some point Caldwell threatened to run Thomas over with her car after which she got back into the driver’s seat of the Camry and began to gun the engine.
She then drove straight at the three victims, who were still on the sidewalk, jumping the curb and striking all three.
Joel Thomas was thrown up on the hood of the car while Mabel Thomas and the 4 year old were pinned between the front bumper and a tree. The Camry then backed up and was last seen proceeding heading north bound on Walton Street.
Police and fire rescue personnel responded to the scene and the three victims were transported to two local hospitals for treatment. None of their injuries were deemed serious. The 4 year old did suffer a number of lacerations and contusions to his head, arms, chest and hips.
A tag number was obtained for the Camry and after speaking with the registered owner of the car, officers were able to identify the suspect as Nikki Caldwell who is the girlfriend of the registered owner’s son. She was located at about 7:00 p.m. at her home address of 1219 James Avenue South where she was arrested on a charge of attempted homicide.
Caldwell made spontaneous admissions to the officers that she did strike the victims with the Camry, but maintained it was an accident.
The Camry was later located at a repair shop at 6400 Haines Road where Caldwell had driven it after the assault. The Camry had suffered damage to one of its rims and the tire was losing air. It was towed as evidence.
