The case involves a male victim, a former relationship and attempted murder charges filed after surveillance video surfaced.
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia prosecutors are handling a North Broad Street car wash crash as a domestic violence case after police said a woman intentionally drove into her former boyfriend during a workplace confrontation.
The charges against 27-year-old Imani Walker followed an April 8 incident that injured Moctar Elias, 42, and left Walker’s Volkswagen Jetta burning near a wall at the car wash. Police said the crash came after a fight between the former couple and after Walker allegedly smashed Elias’ vehicle with a hammer. District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office assigned the case to its Family Violence and Sexual Assault Unit, signaling that prosecutors will focus on both the alleged use of the vehicle and the past relationship between Walker and Elias.
Krasner said the case showed that domestic violence survivors can be of any gender. “It is important that survivors of domestic violence know that, regardless of their gender, my office, along with community-based partners, will work vigorously to achieve justice for them,” he said. The office also said its Victim Services Unit would work with outside partners to help Elias and others affected by the attack. The public statement came after Walker was arrested and arraigned April 10, two days after the crash. It also came after video of the confrontation spread through local news coverage.
The allegations began at the car wash where Elias worked. Officials said Walker arrived in a Volkswagen Jetta and confronted him. Surveillance video showed the two speaking before the exchange turned into a fight. Police said Walker slapped a coffee cup out of Elias’ hand, then swung at him. Elias swung back, and the two wrestled to the ground. Co-workers ran toward them as the scene unfolded. The car wash manager, Bou Bou Gory, said he saw the dispute grow from an argument into violence. “She started arguing with him, hit him in the face,” Gory said.
Police said Walker then escalated the confrontation by getting into her car, driving toward Elias’ vehicle and using a hammer to smash its windows. Elias later said the tool surprised him. “I didn’t expect to see the hammer. When the hammer fell, I grabbed the hammer,” he said. Officials said Elias picked it up and struck Walker’s car as she backed away. The Jetta then moved forward and hit him, according to police. The impact sent Elias and the car into a wall, shattered the windshield and left the vehicle burning. Walker fled on foot, authorities said.
The crash injured Elias’ neck and legs, and he was taken to a hospital for treatment. He was later released and returned to the car wash the next day to speak with co-workers and gather his belongings. He said the attack left him unsure about going back to work. “I was scared, I was really scared. I was surprised, thank God I’m still alive,” Elias said. He also said he and Walker had dated for about five years and had broken up before the incident. He said he did not know why the confrontation became so violent.
Walker faces attempted murder, aggravated assault, accident involving death or personal injury, possession of an instrument of crime, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and criminal mischief. Prosecutors placed Assistant District Attorney Margaret McDermott on the case. Reports citing court records said Walker posted a $75,000 bond. Online court documents did not list a lawyer who could comment on her behalf. The charges cover several parts of the alleged conduct, including the crash, the hammer, the injuries and the damage reported at the car wash.
The domestic violence framing gave the case a wider meaning beyond the unusual scene of a vehicle fire at a business. Prosecutors said Elias was the survivor in the case, and Krasner’s office said support would extend to co-survivors affected by the alleged attack. The term reflected the way violent events can involve family members, former partners, co-workers and witnesses. At the car wash, the aftermath involved not only police and firefighters, but also employees who pulled Elias away from danger and tried to keep Walker from leaving before she ran off.
The people closest to Elias described both anger and restraint after the crash. Nieema Elias, whom Moctar Elias identified as his ex-wife, came to the car wash and said Walker should face jail. She said the attack looked like an attempt to take his life. Moctar Elias, however, said he did not want Walker locked up despite his fear and injuries. “I don’t want to see her go to jail to be honest,” he said. His response did not change the criminal case, which belongs to the state, but it showed the complicated emotions that often remain after violence involving former partners.
Investigators had not publicly released a full motive or said whether Walker made a statement. The video, witness accounts and medical records were expected to shape the next court step. Walker’s preliminary hearing was scheduled for April 24, when prosecutors would seek to keep the charges moving forward. The hearing would give a judge an early look at the evidence, including the surveillance footage and the statements from people at the car wash.
For now, Elias is out of the hospital, Walker is charged and free on bond, and the case remained active in Philadelphia court. The next public test of the allegations was the preliminary hearing set for April 24.
Author note: Last updated May 5, 2026.