Inset: Erika D. Johnson (Beaufort County Detention Center). Background: The Walmart where Johnson allegedly left her children in an overheating car (Google Maps).
A 35-year-old mother in North Carolina was arrested over the weekend for allegedly leaving her two young children—an infant and a toddler—alone in an overheating car while she entered a local Walmart, where she was caught shoplifting.
Erika Dixon Johnson was taken into custody on Saturday and charged with multiple offenses, including two counts of child abuse and one count of shoplifting by concealment of goods, according to court records.
According to court documents, the incident occurred around 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, at a Walmart in the 500 block of Pamlico Plaza in Washington, North Carolina, about 250 miles west of Charlotte.
Johnson had reportedly been previously warned not to enter the store by Walmart’s Loss Prevention division due to an earlier incident at the same location. Because of this, authorities also charged her with second-degree trespassing.
Officers with the Washington Police Department responded to a report of a woman shoplifting at the store. Charging documents state that Johnson “unlawfully and willfully” concealed “various clothing items” in a trash can and attempted to keep them hidden to avoid paying.
Johnson was inside the store with her 3-year-old daughter when staff initially detained her for shoplifting. While officers questioned her, the child reportedly mentioned that her siblings were still inside a parked car.
When officers asked Johnson where her vehicle was located, she allegedly provided false information about its location. Her refusal to disclose where the car was—despite it containing children—led to two additional charges of resisting a public officer.
Police soon located Johnson’s blue van parked in an accessible space in front of the store. Inside, officers found two young children—a 3-month-old and a 2-year-old—reportedly overheating. Both children were sweating and unresponsive, according to a law enforcement official.
Emergency responders transported the children to a nearby hospital, where they were reported to be in stable condition.
Johnson is currently being held at the Beaufort County Detention Center on a $35,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear in court on April 6.
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