A carjacker punched a tow-truck driver in the face and stole his truck Friday in Oak Park but lost control of the vehicle less than 50 yards away and ended up fleeing without it, police said.
The carjacking occurred about 4 a.m. Friday in a parking lot at 1500 Euclid Ave. just north of state Route 94, San Diego Police officer Tony Martinez said.
The driver was sitting in his truck when a man approached and the two struck up a conversation, Martinez said. During the conversation, the driver got out of his rig but left the keys inside.
“The suspect suddenly punched the victim in the face and got into the victim’s vehicle,” Martinez said. “The suspect drove the vehicle about 45 yards and lost control.”
The tow driver chased down the truck, caught up with the suspect and the two men began fighting, Martinez said. The suspect then fled, getting into a black vehicle parked nearby with another man inside. The two men drove off and were last seen headed northbound on 54th Street.
The suspected carjacker was described as a Hispanic man in his 30s, roughly 5 feet 9, with a medium build. He was wearing a gray sweater and dark pants. His companion in the black vehicle was described only as a black man, but no other identifying details were available.
—City News Service