An 18-year-old STL murderer saw a car he wanted and waited until the owner came from her home with her three young children Monday morning.
He approached her from behind, shot her as she turned toward him. As Porsha Owens lay mortally wounded near her children, the would-be carjacker was unable to start the car and ran off. The accused killer, Mark L. Haywood, was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and two counts of armed criminal action. Bail was set at $1 million, cash-only.
Haywood lives a few blocks from where Owens was shot and killed in the carjacking attempt about 7:10 a.m. Monday. She and her children had moved in just a few days earlier.
Haywood wanted the white Dodge Charger he had spotted outside Owens’ home, and waited for whoever owned it.
Owens, 28, was preparing to take her children to a summer day care program. She was wearing her uniform for her job as a school safety officer in the Riverview Gardens School District.
When Owens emerged from the home with her children, Haywood came up from behind her and demanded her keys and money, then fired two shots as she turned toward him. She was struck once.
Haywood got her purse, phone and keys, and also took the gun that Owens carried on her hip. He tried to take the car, but ran off when he wasn’t able to start it.
