UIW athlete accused of kidnap, stabbing

A member of the University of the Incarnate Word women’s track team is accused of stabbing a woman with a screwdriver while kidnapping her 3-yearold boy outside a Northeast Side apartment complex.

MyRajah Deshjonae Rankin, 19, is charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to court records. Her bail totals $150,000.

The child’s mother, 28, noticed the boy outside with a stranger, identified in a San Antonio police report as Rankin, on Thursday afternoon. Rankin is a freshman at UIW from Round Rock, according to the university’s athletics website.

The mother approached Rankin and told her to get away from her son, the report states.

Instead, Rankin grabbed the boy and tried to carry him away, police said. The boy’s mother told police she grabbed him at the same time.

At that point, Rankin began shouting and had a screwdriver in her hand, investigators said.

She stabbed the mother twice in the forearm with the screwdriver, police said. The mother lost her grip.

Rankin ran away with the boy, the report states, carrying him to the side of the apartment. A witness saw the encounter and pleaded with Rankin to leave the boy alone.

A worker nearby overheard the commotion, ran to Rankin and grabbed the boy from her, investigators said.

Rankin ran away on foot and was found hiding in the closet of a nearby apartment, police said.

She was arrested without incident. Additional charges may be forthcoming, investigators said.

In a statement, the university said it “is aware of an off-campus incident involving student-athlete Myrajah Rankin. As this is an ongoing San Antonio Police Department investigation, the university will have no further comment at this time.”

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