Man mows down 73-year-old with stolen forklift at Home Depot before stealing her car

A Maryland man was arrested after he stole a forklift and ran over an elderly woman before stealing her vehicle this week, authorities said. 

On July 2 at around 12:40 a.m., police officers responded to a burglary in progress at a Lowe’s Home Improvement store in the 2500 block of Crain Highway in Waldorf.

The suspect, identified as Bryce Caleb Timothy Brown, 20, had broken into the home improvement store and stolen a forklift, making his way out of the store by breaking through the store’s gates. 

Still on the forklift, he entered the parking lot of a Home Depot nearby and hit a car. A woman who was sleeping in the car Brown hit got out of the vehicle.

As soon as she stepped out of the vehicle, the woman began to run away. However, Brown followed her and hit her with the forklift before running over her. He then stole the woman’s car and fled the scene. 

When police arrived, they found the forklift in the Home Depot parking lot and proceeded to examine it, discovering the woman trapped underneath it. The woman, identified later as 73-year-old Gloristine Pikney, was pronounced dead at the scene. 

After an investigation, police were able to identify Brown as the subject and arrested him that same evening. The victim’s car was found near his residence. 

Brown’s motive for the incident remains unclear. However, police say Brown and Pikney did not know each other. 

"This is absolutely a tragic story. It's bizarre. We don't know why the suspect did this, we're still trying to figure that out. I don't know if we'll ever get an answer. The victim wasn't doing anything but sleeping in her vehicle," said Charles County Sheriff's spokeswoman Diane Richardson.

The suspect was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, assault, and theft, as well as other charges. He is being held at the Charles County Detention Center without bond.