Charlotte, NC – The storm that knocked out my AC over the weekend, leaving me with a four day (and counting) case of swamp-ass, was also responsible for dumping over six inches of water in some areas in a matter of hours.
While the rain was coming down, a security guard was chasing three people suspected of stealing clothing and jewelry from a Burlington Coat Factory.
One of the three suspects was apprehended outside of the store, while the other two suspects, 43-year-old Gracie Nell Johnson and her 16-year-old daughter, Rianna Tarell Johnson, ran behind the shopping center and down an embankment.
There they both made the foolish decision of jumping into McAlpine Creek, which ran behind the shopping center, in an attempt to shake off the pursuing guard. The plan worked a little too well.
Whether they planned on crossing the creek or swim downstream is unknown, but what is known is that on a normal day the creek is so shallow you can walk across it — normally only 2-feet deep . On this day, swiftly running flood waters had the creek swollen to an impressive 10-feet deep.
Once they jumped in, the guard could do nothing but watch as the mother and daughter were swept away.
Gracie Johnson was found dead later that day, an eighth of a mile away from where she had entered the creek. On Saturday, searchers would find Rianna’s body on the banks of the creek.
Records show Gracie was just arrested on June 30, charged with felony common law robbery. She also has a 2008 conviction of misdemeanor larceny.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. The total amount of merchandise they stole and died for? A whopping $39.
I’ve learned a couple things after writing over 2500 articles for this site. One is that I will never fully use spell-check and second, that there are much more horrific ways to die after getting caught shoplifting than drowning. You could always get your ass crushed to death in an industrial trash compacter.
Tags: Crime, Drowning, Gracie Nell Johnson, North Carolina, Rianna Tarell Johnson, Shoplifting
