A Shelby County woman is being held on multiple felony charges including carjacking, vehicular assault, and four counts of child abuse following her arrest Monday, according to booking records.
Alexis Kearney was booked into the Shelby County jail on February 24 on charges that carry potentially lengthy prison sentences. The most serious charge, carjacking under Tennessee Code § 39-13-404, is classified as a Class B felony punishable by eight to 30 years in prison.
The vehicular assault charge, filed under § 39-13-106, suggests Kearney allegedly used a motor vehicle to cause serious bodily injury to another person. This felony carries a potential sentence of three to 15 years.
Four separate counts of child abuse or neglect were filed against Kearney under § 39-15-401. Each count represents a Class A misdemeanor that can carry up to 11 months and 29 days in jail, though circumstances that result in serious bodily injury to a child can elevate the charges to felony level.
The arrest also includes an assault charge under § 39-13-101, adding to the violent nature of the alleged crimes.
Beyond the felony charges, Kearney is facing numerous traffic-related violations that paint a picture of dangerous driving behavior. Records show she was cited for violating Tennessee's child restraint law for children under four years old, suggesting young children were present during the alleged incident.
Additional traffic charges include driving on a suspended or revoked license, disobeying traffic control devices, and failing to exercise due care while driving. She was also cited for violating the state's seat belt law and open container regulations.
The combination of carjacking, child endangerment, and multiple traffic violations suggests a complex incident that may have involved a vehicle theft with children present.
Booking records indicate this is not Kearney's first encounter with law enforcement in Shelby County. Database records show two prior bookings in the county, though details of those previous cases were not immediately available.
The charges come during what has been a relatively quiet day for bookings in Shelby County, with jail records showing no other arrests processed as of Monday evening.
Tennessee's carjacking statute defines the crime as intentionally or knowingly taking a motor vehicle from another person by use of a deadly weapon or by inflicting or threatening to inflict bodily injury. The charge suggests the alleged incident involved force or the threat of violence.
The child abuse charges could indicate that minors were either victims of the alleged crimes or were endangered during the commission of other offenses. Tennessee law considers it child abuse to knowingly abuse or neglect a child in a manner that results in harm or creates substantial risk of harm.
Vehicular assault typically involves using a vehicle as a weapon to intentionally harm another person, suggesting the alleged incident may have escalated beyond a simple vehicle theft.
The traffic violations, particularly the child restraint and seat belt citations, suggest children were unsecured in the vehicle during dangerous driving. The open container charge indicates alcohol may have been present during the incident.
Kearney's driving privileges had apparently already been suspended or revoked at the time of the alleged crimes, as evidenced by the license violation charge.
The multiple charges suggest prosecutors may be building a case that involves a pattern of endangering behavior that put both adults and children at risk.
Details about the specific circumstances of the alleged crimes, including when and where they occurred, were not immediately available from booking records. The charges indicate the incident likely involved multiple victims and may have unfolded over an extended period or multiple locations.
The case will likely proceed through Shelby County Criminal Court, where Kearney will face arraignment on the multiple felony and misdemeanor charges.