The investigation into the Hit and Run incident on October 29 in which Denzell Foster was seriously injured, has been upgraded to an attempted murder investigation resulting in the arrest of a local woman.

Through the efforts of Winnfield Police Department officers, the vehicle involved was located at Plunk’s Towing Service in West Monroe.  It was originally dropped off at the Enterprise Rental Company parking lot in Ruston about one hour after the 11:10 p.m. incident.  

Enterprise officials, through legal means, were able to provide the rental agreement on the vehicle as well as security surveillance video of the car as it was dropped off and the driver leaving in her own vehicle which had been parked on the lot when she rented the car.  

The rental car had been in a secure location at Plunk’s allowing officers to process for DNA and fingerprint evidence.  Officers working the original scene believed that due to the movements and momentum of the impact on Foster that this was an intentional act.

The suspect was arrested on a previous outstanding warrant.  Later she was interviewed and told officers that her actions were intentional although her motive is unclear.  Chiquitha Johnson, age 27, of Winnfield has been charged with Attempted Second Degree Murder and is currently incarcerated at the Winn Parish Detention Center.  

Family members of Foster indicate that he is making progress in his recovery process.  

In the October 29 incident, police received a call that a man was in the ditch on the side of South Jones Street, bleeding from the head.  Foster was known to frequently walk wherever he needed.

Responders found Foster had sustained severe head trauma and internal injuries.  He was taken to the Rapides Regional Medical Center Trauma Unit in Alexandria and later transferred to trauma ICU at Ochsner’s LSU Medical Health in Shreveport. 

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation or arrested and charged with a crime have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.