Flint Man Pleads Guilty to 2 Violent Carjackings
A man from Flint has pleaded guilty to committing two violent carjackings, one of which left a woman hospitalized with severe injuries. Federal prosecutors announced that 20-year-old Darian Welch admitted to committing the carjackings on July 23rd, 2021 in Grand Blanc and September 12th, 2021 in Flint Township.
In the first, Welch approached a woman who was pumping gas into her car and threatened her with a loaded gun, pressing it to her temple and demanding her keys. He then took the keys and drove off in her car.
In the second, he asked a woman for a ride to a nearby apartment building when she was leaving a gas station. She agreed, and after arriving at the apartment complex, prosecutors say Welch punched her, pulled her out of the vehicle, and kicked her repeatedly, causing her to suffer facial fractures and spend several days in the hospital. About an hour later, Welch led police on a high-speed chase until he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a utility pole.
Welch faces 7 years to life in prison on the charge of brandishing a weapon while committing a carjacking, and a maximum of 25 years in prison for carjacking that resulted in serious bodily harm. Sentencing is set for March 14th, 2023.
