Cops seek man who ran over lover with her car

A man who ran over and critically injured his ex-girlfriend with her own car last week in Upper Darby also attempted to set fire to her home last year by dousing it with paint thinner and cranking up the thermostat, Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said.

Kareem Johnson, 22, whose last known address was at the Philadelphia home he tried to set ablaze, has been on the lam since driving over his ex and driving away with her car around 3:30 a.m. Thursday.

Although the couple had been separated for some time, the victim, an Upper Darby woman in her mid-30s, allegedly "hooked up" with Johnson Wednesday night in Philadelphia.

The two allegedly got into a fight on the way home and the victim dropped Johnson off at an unknown location.

Upset from the fight, the victim parked her 2007 Nissan Quest in front of her house, on Merwood Drive near South Keystone Avenue in Upper Darby, and fell asleep in the car, police said.

"She claims she was so upset that she didn't want to go in her house crying in front of her teenage daughter," Chitwood said.

About 3:30 a.m., the woman was wakened by Johnson who said, "I told you I was going to get you," according to Chitwood.

Johnson allegedly slammed the victim's head against the windshield and dashboard before throwing her out of the car.

He then got into the driver's seat and backed the car over the victim's head, shoulders and arm before fleeing in her car, Chitwood said.

The woman, bloodied and bruised, crawled to her house where her teen daughter called for medics, according to police.

She was taken to a local hospital, where she required 100 stitches to her head and two surgeries to save her right hand, Chitwood said. She remains in critical condition.

On Friday, Cherry Hill police stopped two Camden men who were in the victim's stolen Nissan because the vehicle's windshield was broken and covered in blood, Chitwood said.

The men claimed that someone in North Philadelphia had sold the car to them for $300, police said.

The car was taken into evidence and the men were charged with receiving stolen property.

Johnson's arrest record dates back to age 15 and includes charges of aggravated assault, murder and weapons violations, though few of those cases resulted in convictions, Chitwood said.

On April 13, 2008, Johnson was allegedly staying with the victim at her old house on Pennington Road near Brookhaven, in West Philadelphia, when the two argued over living conditions, Chitwood said.

Johnson allegedly bit the victim on her knuckle, beat her and poured paint thinner all over the house before cranking up the thermostat to 100 degrees, hoping to ignite the paint-thinner fumes, according to police.

Fire officials responded and brought the situation under control before flames broke out, Chitwood said.

Johnson was charged with attempted arson, causing a catastrophe and related offenses. Chitwood believed that that case was still pending, but online court records show that the charges were withdrawn about six weeks after the incident.

An attempted-murder warrant was issued for Johnson by Upper Darby police in the latest incident, but he also has an arrest warrant from Philadelphia for robbery and is wanted on a parole violation for a drug and gun conviction, Chitwood said.

Upper Darby police have posted a $1,000 reward for information leading to Johnson's arrest.

"He's a violent predator, a violent cowardly street thug," Chitwood said. "He's obsessed with this woman and he's obsessed to the point where he's going to kill."

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Upper Darby Det. Kevin Dinan at 610-734-7677. *