What began as a stolen vehicle alert quickly turned into a brief police chase and ended with an apprehension at the Willow Grove Mall, according to police.
Semaj Dixon, 21, of Philadelphia, is facing multiple charges stemming from the incident.
According to Abington Police Department, officers were alerted around 10:20 a.m. on April 17 to a gray Hyundai Sonata reported stolen and heading into Abington from Cheltenham along Old York Road. A database check confirmed the vehicle’s stolen status, and officers soon spotted it near Old York Road and Cloverly Road.
When police attempted to pull the vehicle over using lights and sirens, the driver refused to stop. Authorities say the operator drove erratically, committing multiple traffic violations and running red lights while attempting to evade officers. Concerned about the risk to other drivers and pedestrians, police made the decision to call off the pursuit.
But the vehicle didn’t get far.
Roughly 40 minutes later, at about 11:03 a.m., an officer on routine patrol near the Willow Grove Park Mall recognized the same vehicle, this time parked near a main entrance. Officers quickly moved in and located the suspected driver nearby.
Dixon admitted at the scene that he knew the vehicle was stolen and that he had been driving it.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 6, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Juanita A. Price.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
