Suspect Sought After Carjacking, Arson In Sausalito
SAUSALITO (CBS SF) -- A person of interest was being sought after a carjacking and arson in Sausalito on Sunday.
Sausalito police said at around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, dispatchers received calls regarding a woman screaming for help and also about a vehicle on fire, both on the 100 block of Rodeo Ave.
Fire department personnel and police arrived and contacted a woman who had just had her Mercedes-Benz carjacked, telling officers she was getting in her car when an adult male yanked her out of the vehicle. She tried to fight back but the man was able to get control of her vehicle and drive away.
Just before taking the woman's car, the man set fire to the inside of a car in the adjacent carport, police said. Based on witness statements it's believed that vehicle belongs to and was parked in that location by the suspect. Southern Marin Fire was able to extinguish the fire before the vehicle became fully engulfed or caused any damage to the carport.
Using the Mercedes-Benz tracking system, police traced the vehicle to San Francisco. Sausalito police officers with the help of San Francisco police were able to find the victim's vehicle, process it for evidence, and return it to the victim undamaged.
Investigators said they have identified a person of interest and believe it was a random incident with no immediate threat to the community.
Anyone who may have any additional information was asked to contact the Sausalito Police Department at (415) 289-4170.
