A driver in Washington, D.C., fought off a would-be carjacker who jumped inside the car and threatened them with a knife over the weekend, authorities said, as carjackings in the city so far this year keep up with last year’s record-shattering numbers.
The female suspect tried to carjack the driver around 10 a.m. Saturday in the 100 block of Kennedy Street Northwest as the victim was sitting in the running car, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department said.
The unidentified suspect entered the vehicle and pulled a knife on the driver before demanding that the victim leave the vehicle, according to police.
The victim fought back to stop the woman from stealing the car, police said.
The victim suffered a minor injury while the suspect fled the scene.
Surveillance cameras captured images of the woman suspected of trying to carjack the victim.
Authorities asked anyone with knowledge about the incident to contact police, who are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest or conviction in the case.
So far this year, carjackings in the nation’s capital are keeping up with last year’s record-shattering pace.
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On Tuesday, a tow truck driver intervened in a separate attempted carjacking to rescue a 76-year-old victim at a gas station, FOX5 DC reported. The good Samaritan pulled the suspect out of the victim’s car and held him on the ground until police arrived.
Last month, former Trump administration official Mike Gill was shot and killed in a high-profile carjacking rampage.
As of Wednesday, there have been 75 reported citywide carjackings year-to-date compared to 83 reported during the same period last year.
Carjackings in the city nearly doubled in 2023, with a reported 958 carjackings – a 97.9% spike – compared to 484 reported in 2022, public police data shows. The majority (64%) of carjacking arrests within the city involved juveniles, with ages 15 and 16 the most common ages for offenders.
