SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Authorities reached out to the public Friday for help in identifying a pair of thieves who used a roadside-emergency ruse to get a motorist to pull over on a rural roadway north of Escondido in order to rob him and steal his car.
The victim was driving near the intersection of Old Highway 395 and Circle R Way in the unincorporated Hidden Meadows community shortly before 9:30 p.m June 12, when he saw a woman with a green-and-purple Kent-brand bicycle who appeared to be in distress alongside the road, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department reported.
When the driver pulled over to see if he could help, a black Honda hatchback pulled up behind him, according to the regional law enforcement agency.
A man got out of the Honda, approached the victim, pulled out a gun on him and told him to give him his wallet and money. Telling the thief he did not have any cash, the victim told him he could take his car.
The gunman then got into the victim's vehicle and drove away, and the woman drove off in the Honda her accomplice had been driving, according to investigators.
The victim's car was found abandoned the following day.
The male thief was described as a heavyset, roughly 5-foot-5-inch Latino in his 30s or 40s with a full beard, curly hair and tattoos above his eyelids.
His partner in the carjacking was a light-skinned woman in her 30s or 40s, sheriff's officials said.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477 or contact the agency online at sdcrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
