Stephanie Donnette Rachels
A 42-year-old woman was arrested Friday after police say she convinced a Home Depot employee to give her a ride home and then helped a male accomplice carjack him at gunpoint.
The victim, Aaron Black, told police that he left work at Home Depot near Hamilton Place mall around 9 p.m. on Nov. 12 when he ran into a woman -- who police suspect is Stephanie Rachels -- in the parking lot.
The woman asked for a ride home, Black told police, and since he recognized her as a frequent customer, he agreed. Black said he was driving a few miles away on Old Cleveland Pike when the woman asked him to stop and pick up a man.
Black stopped and a man got into the car. After Black drove a little farther, the man pulled out a small gray revolver and put it to Black's head, according to police.
He made Black get out of the car and then drove away with the woman. Black described him as white and about 5 feet, 9 inches tall, 165 pounds and between the ages of 17 and 21.
Two weeks later, East Ridge police found the car. The person who had it told them he bought it from a woman named Rachels for $450, and he picked Rachels out of a photo lineup. In December, Black also had picked Rachels out of a lineup, according to police.
Rachels was booked into the Hamilton County Jail on a charge of carjacking and has been released on bond. Her criminal history includes charges of burglary, theft, criminal impersonation and joy riding.
It was not immediately clear whether the accomplice, who could be a minor, has been identified or arrested.
Contact staff reporter Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas.