A car thief in Maryland who dragged a grandmother and her daughter with their vehicle has been sentenced to 95 years in prison. In 2024, the then 19-year-old Darius Wolfe was involved in a carjacking that caused serious injuries to 87-year-old Edna Smith and her daughter 66-year-old Valarie Smith. Judge Robert Cahill of Baltimore County called Wolfe’s actions “irretrievably depraved.”
Two suspects are still at large
In August 2024, Valarie Smith was delivering groceries to her mother when she was accosted by Wolfe, who wore a mask and an all-black outfit, according to CBS News.
Smith punched and struggled against the carjacker until he put a gun to her head. That’s when Edna, a retired city school teacher of 36 years, darted across the front lawn and tried to help her daughter. Prosecutors say Wolfe then entered her Acura, shut Valarie’s hand in the door, and dragged both her and Edna down the street.
As a result, the vehicle ran over Edna, while Valarie hit the pavement on her head, which caused bleeding on her brain.
In a statement to the court, the grandmother recounted what happened to her: “I felt the weight of the car, crushing my bones, my pelvis. I screamed out in pain and disbelief, and in those moments in the street, I truly believed I was going to die. Every time I close my eyes, I relive that night.”
Since the incident, Edna has undergone multiple surgeries and has had to use a walker for mobility: “The peace I once carried so freely has been taken from me. Now, I depend on others for even the simplest things.”
Wolfe was one of three suspects involved in the carjacking, and investigators have been able to locate two of them, in part by using the Acura’s built-in GPS system. Authorities said that Wolfe attempted to sell the Acura to friends and posted shots of him taking the car for a joyride on Instagram.
One suspect, Reginald Cornelius Belton, who used one of Valarie’s credit cards, was sentenced to 75 years in prison earlier this year. The third suspect has not been identified. Valarie said she had a “fear of retaliation” because the assailant is still at large and could return.
The state had pushed for Wolfe to receive the maximum sentence of 100 years due to his lengthy criminal record as a juvenile and his history of violence, per WBAL. Wolfe was convicted on four criminal counts, including first-degree assault and armed carjacking.
