Man Surrenders Car to Carjacker in Westminster

WESTMINSTER — A carjacker pointed a gun at a driver stopped on McFadden Avenue on Wednesday afternoon and escaped with the car as the owner fled on foot.

The driver had pulled over just east of Beach Boulevard at 2:50 p.m., apparently seeking directions, when a man about 18 years old approached, pointed a black handgun into the driver’s window and demanded his Ford Escort station wagon, Police Lt. Mike Schliskey said.

“The man got out of the vehicle on the passenger’s side and started to run off,” Schliskey said. “He was followed for a short time by the suspect, who may have also wanted his wallet. The suspect returned to the vehicle and and drove off northbound on Beach Boulevard.”

The victim was not injured.

Schliskey said carjackings in the city are rare, and Wednesday’s may have been the first this year.

But he advised: “Don’t confront someone with a gun who demands your vehicle. Once in awhile, someone might get hurt if they comply, but most of the time, the person takes the car or the wallet and runs.”