An infant was thrown from a stroller during a fight in the Capital City Mall parking lot on Dec. 13, and the child’s mother was arrested, police said. The noon-hour altercation drew officers to the busy shopping center just west of Harrisburg.
Lower Allen Township police say the confrontation involved four women and unfolded steps from storefronts as holiday shoppers moved through the lot. Investigators reviewed surveillance video and interviewed those at the scene. One participant, identified as 26-year-old Oreil Dykes, was charged with endangering the welfare of children and simple assault. Three others face simple assault counts. Authorities say the case remains open, with hearings set next month as prosecutors review evidence and witness statements gathered from the mall and surrounding businesses.
Officers were dispatched at 12:27 p.m. to 3506 Capital City Mall Drive for an active fight. According to police, video shows all four women mutually engaging in the brawl. Investigators say Dykes initially left her infant in a stroller in a main traffic aisle to join the fracas. Moments later, she returned to the stroller and pushed it back toward the fight. Police say Dykes then kicked at another person and, in the process, tipped the stroller. “Her unrestrained child was thrown onto the parking lot,” the department said in a statement. Medics were called after bystanders rushed toward the stroller, and officers documented visible injuries among several adults involved.
Authorities identified the other women as Kajah George, 30; Carrie Bowman, 46; and Messiah Cloud, 21. Police said George and Cloud had injuries to their knuckles and faces when officers arrived. Investigators did not immediately specify the infant’s medical condition or whether the child was transported for further evaluation. The incident took place near a main mall entrance during a busy shopping window, according to police accounts and store employees who provided statements. Detectives collected surveillance footage from the mall and nearby cameras and noted the stroller was not equipped with its restraining straps when the tip-over occurred. What sparked the fight remains under review, and officials have not indicated whether any weapons were present.
The Capital City Mall sits in Lower Allen Township, a Cumberland County suburb across the river from Harrisburg. Police said the confrontation happened days before the final shopping weekend ahead of the Christmas holiday, as traffic increased around the center’s outer ring road and adjacent lots. Records show officers have responded to prior calls for disturbances and thefts at large regional shopping centers during peak retail periods, though physical fights drawing felony child endangerment allegations are less common. The department’s public postings emphasize the use of mall cameras and nearby business systems to reconstruct events in crowded spaces where witness accounts can differ.
Dykes was taken to the Cumberland County Prison after her arrest on Dec. 13 and charged with felony child endangerment and misdemeanor simple assault. George, Bowman and Cloud were each charged with misdemeanor simple assault. Court records list a preliminary hearing for Dykes on Jan. 15. Investigators say the case is still active; additional filings could follow as interviews and video reviews continue. Police said they would forward the final investigative packet to the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office, which will determine any added counts and how the cases proceed on the January court calendar.
Shoppers described a brief but chaotic scene as shouting drew attention to the center aisle of the lot. A store employee who stepped outside after hearing the commotion told officers she saw a stroller on its side and several people separating as sirens approached. Police said multiple bystanders provided statements and a caller’s description helped officers locate participants who had moved to different sections of the lot. Officers later contacted Dykes, who, according to the arrest narrative, admitted being in the fight before she was taken into custody.
As of Sunday, Dec. 21, police say the investigation remains open, and the next court milestone is the Jan. 15 preliminary hearing for Dykes. Officials have not released further updates on the infant’s condition. The department plans to release additional information if new charges are filed or if more video is added to the case file.
Author note: Last updated December 21, 2025.