TAMPA, Fla. — The owner of an auto repair shop used his body to try to stop a mother from stealing a car; she was later arrested by police, accused of killing her own daughter.
Abdul Jordan owns Jordan Auto Repair off N 40th Street in Tampa. He said he saw Shakayla Denson Thursday walking toward his business. He said she was on the phone and sounded angry, even yelling. As she walked, he remembered seeing the little girl getting dragged by her.
“We angry from that because emotionally…that’s…..we tried to stop her. We don’t know if that be…if we (could have) save(d) the girl,” Jordan said.
Jordan was later notified Denson was charged with murdering her daughter by drowning her in the Hillsborough River.
Jordan said he wishes he could have done more to save the 4-year-old girl, Je’hyrah Daniels.
“She (was) crying and she …looked scared, you know,” Jordan said.
He remembers seeing Denson shove Daniels into the Nissan Altima. Jordan tried blocking the street with his body.
“I tried (to) stop her……completely to not move and she tried push(ing) me. She drive, drive, drive all the way to the street,” Jordan said.
Jordan said Denson drove over part of his foot as she got away, stealing the car from the lot. He tried following Denson, but lost her.
“When I hear what happened..the baby...it (made) me sad because we don’t know how we (could have) save(d) the baby,” Jordan said.
Police gave Jordan the Nissan Altima back, Friday afternoon.
