A woman in Oakland, California, narrowly escaped a carjacking attempt thanks to her quick thinking and decisive actions. The incident, which occurred on Skyline Boulevard around 8:30 a.m. on July 21, involved two suspects in a white Dodge Charger.
Dashcam footage from the victim's SUV captures the Charger abruptly stopping in front of her, effectively blocking her path. A suspect, armed with a gun, jumps out of the Charger and rushes towards her vehicle. Simultaneously, a second suspect, wearing a black ski mask, exits the passenger side and approaches the victim's car from the other side.
The victim initially believed the armed suspect fired his weapon, but later clarified that he was actually banging on her window. While the armed suspect continued to try and gain entry, the second suspect, who the victim suspected might be a woman, attempted to open the passenger-side door.
Thinking fast, the victim accelerated her vehicle, maneuvering between the suspects' car and the road divider. The dashcam footage shows her speeding away as the suspects give chase down the hill. The victim maintained her speed and used her horn to deter the suspects from getting close.
The Oakland Police Department has confirmed multiple arrests related to this carjacking attempt and several others in the city. Two adult males and one juvenile male were apprehended after attempting to flee from police. The suspects' vehicle was tracked by the department's Violent Crime Operations Center. Details about the suspects’ identities have not been released.
This incident is part of a larger trend of increasing carjackings in Oakland. Between July 17 and 23, nine carjackings were reported, and over 300 have occurred so far this year, exceeding the numbers from the same periods in 2021 and 2022.
