TEMECULA CARJACKING SUSPECT ELUDES CAPTURE IN TWENTYNINE PALMS

Police in two cities are searching for a man suspected of carjacking a woman at knifepoint in Temecula, and then driving the car to Twentynine Palms. According to Temecula police Sergeant Curt Harris, about 8 p.m. Monday, October 14, a Murrieta woman had gone to a park in Temecula to pick up her daughter from soccer practice. As she was waiting, a man got into her car and forced her out at knifepoint. The suspect then drove off in her white Mazda SUV. About five hours later, around 3 a.m., Tuesday morning, a California Highway Patrol officer in Twentynine Palms attempted to pull over a suspected drunk driver, traveling westbound on the highway near Mesquite Springs Road. CHP Officer Bill Green said the driver refused to yield, and the car’s license plate came up as the carjacked vehicle from Temecula. CHP officers pursued the stolen car through residential neighborhoods in Twentynine Palms before the carjacker eventually ended up near Utah Trail and Sunset. The suspect then drove off into the open desert. When the desert became too rough to drive, the suspect abandoned the car. Green said CHP officers spent several hours searching for the driver but were unable to locate him. The suspect is described as a black male, 20 to 25 years old, about 5 feet 6 or 7 inches tall with a thin build. He was clean shaven, and wore a dark-colored baseball hat, a white pullover shirt and baggy pants. Anyone with information is asked to call Sergeant Harris at the Temecula police department at 951-696-3000.