Man accused of attempted carjacking at Grindstone Walmart arrested, charged
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A man who was accused of trying to steal a vehicle at gunpoint at the Grindstone Parkway Walmart in Columbia has been arrested and charged.
Timothy Donnell, 68, was charged on Thursday with vehicle hijacking. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. Court documents say he was convicted of sodomy and robbery in 1992 and was sentenced to 63 years in prison, but was paroled in January 2022. An initial court appearance was set for Thursday.
According to the probable cause statement, a woman was approached by Donnell in the Walmart parking lot in the 1200 block of Grindstone Parkway on Feb. 2. Donnell allegedly walked up to the victim while she was putting groceries in her vehicle and asked if she was done with her shopping cart. The woman gave him the cart, according to the statement.
The woman got into her Cadillac, went to shut the door and Donnell was standing on the driver’s side of the vehicle, asked the victim if she lost a phone and extended his arm while holding a cellphone, the statement says. The victim could see a gun in his other hand, the statement says.
Donnell allegedly told the woman to “get over” or “scoot over” multiple and the victim told him “no” each time before Donnell left.
Police viewed video from the store that allegedly showed Donnell approach the victim, the victim handed him the cart and Donnell allegedly walked a “short distance” and let go of the cart before approaching the vehicle. Court documents say the video showed Donnell walk into the store, buy an item from a vending machine and then follow the victim out of the store.
Police posted a photo of Donnell on Facebook on Monday and asked for his identity. Donnell then went to the Columbia Police Department on Tuesday and identified himself as the man in the photo, the statement says. He was arrested at his residence on Wednesday, the statement says.
