A woman was carjacked in broad daylight and left stranded close to orchards.
The woman pulled over on the side of the road close to Avenue 21 and Road 26 at approximately 8 a.m. on Friday while driving alone in a Chevrolet Panel Van.
She stopped to fix the load in the rear, according to Merced County Sheriff’s Deputies.
Lieutenant Robert Blehm, the sheriff for Madera County, stated, “As she was doing so, she was approached from behind by two males who brandished a knife, pressed it up against her rib cage, and demanded her vehicle.”
At the time of the attack, both suspects were wearing full-face masks. According to deputies, the woman turned over the keys as requested.
According to investigators, one man left in a black SUV, while the other took her van.
The woman was on a work trip from Vallejo. She had $60,000 worth of stuff in her van.
“She sells merchandise at various local swap meets throughout the Valley, so she had athletic clothing, workout supplements, things of that nature,” said Lieutenant Blehm.
As they search for the robbers, sheriff’s deputies have now registered the van’s license plate to a statewide system.
It’s unclear to the sheriff’s office if the carjacking was targeted or random.
“I think it’s difficult to say with certainty that they knew what they were doing. I think that the ski masks and the rural nature of the area in the county where it occurred would be highly suggestive that it was a preplanned incident,” Lieutenant Blehm said.
Please get in touch with the Madera County Sheriff’s Office if you know anything about this occurrence.
