Plus-Size Influencer Faces Murder Charges After Allegedly Crashing Car Into Daughters

Janieka Ellington, a 35-year-old plus-size influencer turned DEI scholar, now faces a nightmare scenario after allegedly crashing her car and stabbing her own daughters on a busy freeway. The Daily Mail reports that this body positivity advocate once promised to empower America's youth by documenting her 60-pound weight loss journey on TikTok. While she urged others to find their 'dream body naturally,' without surgery or drugs, she was also chasing a dream job in criminal justice and public policy. She graduated last winter with a masters degree in criminal justice from Walden University, an online learning institution known for its flexible programs.

Yet the promising diversity, equity, and inclusion scholar is now fighting attempted murder charges. Police say she intentionally crashed her VW Tiguan along Interstate 5 in Dupont, Washington, around 9am PT on October 5. The scene turned deadly fast. Charging documents obtained by the Daily Mail state that Ellington then tried to stab both of her daughters. A bloodbath ensued until two US Army soldiers spotted the chaos and rushed forward to intervene. Investigators say she blamed losing her job and mental health struggles for this violent outburst.

Her fall is steep, especially after a serious push into academia. The scholar celebrated her graduation by posing in her cap and gown across several social media posts. She dedicated her research and advocacy work to public policy change. Her capstone thesis explored what she called the 'deep-seated roots of injustice embedded within the American criminal justice system.' According to her online profile, her goal was to dismantle structural barriers, address racial inequality, and promote restorative justice for safer communities.

In September, this first-generation student marked the end of her degree program with a photoshoot in her cap and gown. 'I'm dedicated to empowering young people to break through their barriers and come out victorious,' she wrote on Facebook while sharing highlights from the shoot. She added that she did not grow up with a silver spoon but was constantly pushing forward without forgetting her roots. Now, that incident on I-5 could cost her decades behind bars, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The Washington State Patrol details how the crash unfolded. Ellington struck the left-side barrier first, then veered right onto the shoulder before hitting it again and striking a semi-truck in the middle lane. The car rolled over on its passenger side before finally stopping. Three Good Samaritans, including two soldiers, rushed to help Ellington and her young daughters, identified only as AD and ZD.

The violence continued after the crash stopped. Ellington pulled out a knife and began chasing AD, who was 15 years old, around the vehicle while yelling 'I'm going to kill you,' the affidavit stated. The bystanders worked together with the teenager to disarm her and hold her on the ground until state troopers arrived. Pierce County Corrections records show she faces four counts of attempted murder, two counts of vehicular assault, and felony harassment for these actions.

She has not yet entered a plea regarding these charges. The alleged attack happened only three hours after the mother seemed distressed because she had run out of gas on the side of the road. Footage from Washington State Patrol body-worn cameras, obtained by KING 5, captured that moment clearly.

Ellington crashed her SUV into a concrete barrier along I-5 in Dupont, Washington just before 9am on October 5. A probable cause affidavit secured by the Daily Mail confirms this timeline. The assault occurred shortly after a state trooper helped her refuel at a nearby station. He filled a five-gallon container and drove back to pour the gas into her car.

Video shows Ellington standing next to her parked SUV just after 6am on October 5. She appeared to be crying in the footage. She told the officer she had run out of fuel, prompting his assistance with the container. At the time of her arrest, pretrial services documents revealed she was struggling with serious mental health issues.

During an interview while in custody, she stated she had been diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Investigators checked the National Crime Information Center database and found a record showing criminal history in Tennessee. The assessment noted this history but also said she has no convictions on file. An independent search by the Daily Mail failed to find further details about her alleged past in that state.

Instead, she appeared as a pillar in her Memphis community. Just four years ago, she was featured in a Canvas Rebel profile linked to her media company, Memphis Visuals. That business offered photography, film, and music video services across Memphis but has not updated social media platforms since 2023.

Three Good Samaritans rushed to help when the crisis began. Yet Ellington pulled out a knife and started chasing her 15-year-old daughter around while yelling 'I'm going to kill you,' as court filings allege. She was arrested at the scene and taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation. Now she is held in jail without bail while awaiting a mental health competency evaluation order.

While living in Tennessee, she built a small following on TikTok as a body positivity influencer after losing 60 pounds in just two years. 'As a plus size woman, I grew up bullied and shamed for my body,' she told the magazine. 'But as an adult, I found my confidence and pride in my curvy physique.' Her TikTok account has since been deleted, though other profiles promoting body positivity remain active.

It is unclear exactly when or why Ellington moved her family to Washington. Her daughters told police they had been living with an uncle in the small town of Steilacoom. In January 2025, she represented the Palmer Scholars Green Stormwater Infrastructure program at the Tacoma Public Utilities Women in Trades Expo. The workforce development initiative wrote about this event on Facebook. She and her cohort loved connecting with driven young women exploring careers in the trade.

However, she had been unemployed for about two months at the time of her arrest. The pretrial services screening and public safety assessment confirmed this gap in employment. Ellington told police she recently lost two jobs and felt stressed. She claimed she was having difficulties managing her mental health and worried she was being followed. A WSP report obtained by KING 5 recorded these statements.

The scholar also said she had considered traveling to Vancouver, Canada in search of safety. That report included this detail about her thoughts on fleeing the state. Ellington was arrested in Washington state and charged with four counts of attempted murder, two counts of vehicular assault and felony harassment. Pierce County Corrections records list these specific charges against her name.

A former body positivity influencer has not yet entered a plea regarding charges that she deliberately crashed her SUV into a concrete barrier along I-5 and then tried to stab her two daughters to death. Police believe the mother was under the influence of alcohol and suffering from suicidal thoughts at the time of the crash, according to the probable cause affidavit. Troopers noted Ellington allegedly smelled of booze and admitted she had been drinking whiskey straight the night before the incident. She also told police she never went to bed.

AD recalled seeing her mother drinking late Sunday evening. The filing says AD claimed Ellington abruptly woke them in the middle of the night. Ellington rushed them into her SUV, and they left their home without warning. She drove roughly three hours before turning around and heading back home, according to the 15-year-old survivor.

Ellington's younger daughter, ZD, told authorities that her mother believed she was being followed as they drove. The ten-year-old claimed the scholar also told them they were all going to die before driving into the barrier. During their drive, Ellington said she would kill AD and ZD before the people that were following them did.

AD told investigators she believed Ellington was delusional. The affidavit adds her mother had been driving extremely erratic before the crash. Ellington was unemployed at the time of the incident and reportedly struggling with anxiety and depression. She is pictured in January 2025 representing the Palmer Scholars Green Stormwater Infrastructure program at the Tacoma Public Utilities Women in Trades Expo.

Ellington was arrested at the scene and taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation, the filing said. She is currently being held in jail without bail as she awaits a mental health evaluation. Both girls were also hospitalized after the crash but are expected to recover from their injuries. AD broke her left ankle while ZD was left with multiple broken bones, a spinal injury and stab wounds.

The semi-truck driver was not injured during the incident though the vehicle was damaged, state troopers said. The crash remains under investigation. Ellington is next due in court on October 20. How does one parent survive such a nightmare for her children?