Tom Swint

PHOTOS of the scene

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- As northbound lanes of the Brookshire Freeway reopened Friday morning, the girlfriend of one of the suspects accused of carjacking and crashing a police officer’s vehicle, spoke exclusively with NewsChannel 36.

“Whatever happens, I'm going to be here for him always because that's my baby," said a crying Sasha Crowder.

Police say Crowder's boyfriend and an accomplice crashed a stolen SUV on I-277 Thursday night. The SUV hit freeway signage and caught fire.

Takim Skipper, 20, died at the scene. Suspect number two, Shajan Marrero, 19, managed to get out and escaped to his girlfriend's apartment.

"When I saw him he was walking, no shoes,” said Crowder. “(Marrero) was just trying to get away because he felt like the person who had shot his friend was chasing him, about to shot him too."

The stolen SUV belonged to an undercover narcotics officer with Gastonia police. The officer just happened to be on the Brookshire Freeway Thursday night.

Shajan Marrero

The unsuspecting officer was carjacked on the freeway when he stopped to help at the scene of a crash. That crash, it turns out, involved the two suspects in a different carjacked vehicle.

After an altercation, the undercover officer shot at the suspects before they crashed and Marrero ran away.

"I'm not mad but I wish he had gone about the situation in a different way because that put my family at risk,” said Crowder.

A blood trail led police to the girlfriend’s apartment. They arrested Marrero.

Marrero has been charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon and assault with a deadly weapon.