72-Year-Old San Jose Man To Teen Carjacker: 'I Don't Care If You Have A Gun'
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- A San Jose septuagenarian who was carjacked in his own driveway Wednesday morning described his harrowing confrontation with an armed 14-year-old boy Thursday afternoon.
72-year-old San Jose resident Hector Estrada said his response was instinctive; he just could not give his keys or his car to the young man pointing a gun at him without a fight.
"He said, 'I've got a gun.' And I said, 'I don't care.' And I grabbed him out of the car," Estrada said, standing in the driveway of his East San Jose home as he recounted details from the violent carjacking.
Estrada told KPIX 5 that he and his family have lived at the home for 50 years. He said that the frightening incident was entirely out of character for his usually crime-free neighborhood.
Estrada said a security camera that he recently installed above his garage door captured the violent altercation. He says he'd gone to car to retrieve some items from a shopping trip when he was when a young man approached him.
"He started asking me for my keys. And I said, 'No way.' And then he showed me his gun. And I said, 'I don't care if you have a gun, I'm not going to give you my keys.' So, he reached and grabbed them," Estrada said.
The security camera video obtained by KPIX 5 shows Estrada struggling to pull the suspect out of the driver's seat of his car. The suspect eventually gets out of the car and begins to punch a retreating Estrada in the face and back.
The suspect hops back in the car and speeds off. But according to police, he didn't make it very far. About ten minutes later and two miles away, investigators said the suspect was involved in a hit-n-run crash. The teen rammed a Dodge Challenger with Estrada's stolen vehicle after running a red light.
Police said the suspect tried to run from the scene, but a Good Samaritan intervened, chasing the suspect and attempting to stop him. But the suspect allegedly brandished a gun and the witness gave up the pursuit.
The driver and passenger inside the Dodge Challenger sustained non-life threatening injuries.
Robbery detectives were able to identify a 14-year-old juvenile as the suspect responsible for the carjacking and hit-and-run collision. On Wednesday night, police arrested him at his family's home.
"Unfortunately we have been seeing crimes like this committed by juveniles," said Officer Tepoorten. So we are just asking residents and people to be aware of their surroundings. If they see anything suspicious to definitely call the police department."
The teenager was booked into Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall and is facing carjacking, robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and elder abuse charges.
As for Estrada, he said he would do it all again in a heartbeat.
"I have always thought I would never let somebody do that if I can help it," he explained.
Estrada told KPIX 5 he is the proud father of three, grandfather of six and great grandfather of three. Two of his children work in public service, with one serving as a police officer and the other working as a fire fighter so, Estrada said, toughness and public service run in the family.
