Twin sisters from Kansas City, Missouri, have been charged in connection with an alleged armed carjacking that occurred after an intentional crash on Interstate 49 in Belton on Tuesday night.
Rodnae Gorham and Rodneysha Gorham, both 19, were charged by Cass County prosecutors with accessory to car hijacking with a deadly weapon, and they are being jailed without bond.
According to court filings, the carjacking occurred Tuesday soon before 6 p.m. when the suspects, driving a Kia, rear-ended the victim in a Dodge Charger on southbound I-49 north of 163rd Street and followed her to where she pulled over just before the entrance ramp.
The victim told Belton police that the woman, later identified as Rodnae, drove the Kia, got out, and apologized for hitting her. According to court filings, the victim informed police that while she was speaking with Rodnae, an unidentified guy exited the Kia and Rodneysha took the driver’s seat in her Dodge.
The victim claimed that when she urged her to get out of her car, the man pulled out a revolver, pointed it at her, and then got inside it. According to court documents, Rodnae returned to the Kia, and the three suspects drove away.
According to Lt. Dan Davis of the Belton Police Department, this type of crime is uncommon in the area.
The politician said, “We took two individuals into custody after they fled from that stolen vehicle in Kansas City.”
“The Cass County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges against them today, following their arrest in Belton yesterday.” Cass County Jail is incarcerating both individuals on no bond warrants for the carjacking.
Court filings reveal that the victim informed police that she bought the automobile three days prior to the incident, equipped with a “Lojack” GPS monitoring system that tracked her vehicle’s location. Belton police notified Kansas City police, who discovered the vehicle parked in front of a home around 59th and Bellefontaine.
The KCPD attempted a traffic stop, but the suspects fled, leading officers on the ground and a helicopter to pursue them. Eventually, they halted, exited, and attempted to escape from authorities near 36th and Brooklyn, only to face apprehending and detention.
According to the probable cause statement, Rodnae stated that she was driving the Kia around Kansas City when the mystery man asked for the victim’s Dodge. She informed authorities that she followed the victim into Belton and rear-ended her on Interstate 49.
She confirmed the victim’s version of the carjacking and claimed she helped because the man had a pistol and threatened to harm her.
According to court documents, Rodneysha provided an inconsistent account of Rodnae’s, claiming that they abandoned the Kia by the roadside, which detectives knew to be false.
She later revised her account, claiming she couldn’t recall who drove the Dodge away from the scene. Both suspects stated that they did not know the man’s name, only his street name.
Police were able to identify the suspect’s vehicle using tracking technology and overhead surveillance.
“The car had a mechanism that allowed us to track its general location. Kansas City was able to locate it, pursue it, and lose it for a while, but then rediscovered it with their aviation unit, and the helicopter was able to follow it to an area where the suspects bailed out, allowing ground units to come in and apprehend our two suspects hiding in the area,” said Lt. Dan Davis, the Division Commander of BPD’s Investigation Unit.
Davis went on to clarify that the victim did everything correctly.
“Our victim did nothing wrong. She exited the roadway. Despite the crowded area, she managed to exit the roadway. When confronted, she gave up the vehicle. Very smart. There’s no vehicle worth dying for. She did everything correctly. She was victimized. “Fortunately, we will hold at least two people accountable for that,” he explained.
Lt. Davis also offered some advice on self-awareness.
“Go to a highly populated area if you suspect someone is following you or is targeting you in this situation.” Find out where your nearest police station is.” Let them follow you to the police station.”
We still don’t know who the third suspect is, and we don’t know if they’ve arrested him.
Online court records do not yet list the court dates for either of the twin sisters. Belton police stated that they are still investigating the case and may issue further charges.
The Belton Police Department reports that they are still investigating this case and may file additional charges. If you have any information that could aid detectives, please call (816) 474-TIPS or the Belton Police Department’s Investigations Unit at (816) 331-1500.
