MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Police are looking for a man they believe is responsible for an attempted carjacking and attempted kidnapping outside an East Memphis nursing home.
Memphis Police want to know if you recognize this man wearing a blood-stained t-shirt.
The man, described as between 30 to 40 years of age, is accused of trying to carjack a couple and kidnap the woman still inside the vehicle outside Belmont Village Senior Living in East Memphis Saturday afternoon.
“You really see your life flash before your eyes.”
Michael and Dee Jones said they were visiting a family member at the assisted living facility when the man in the photo flagged them down in the parking lot.
“I cracked the window about two to three inches and I said ‘what can we do for you?’ and he said that he’d just jumped and needed some help,” Michael said. “It looked like he had the devil in his eyes.”
The couple said that’s when the man tried to help himself to their 2018 Toyota Rav 4 as they attempted to pull forward and get him assistance at the front desk.
According to the police report, the suspect jumped in the back of the car.
“As soon as I got out of the driver’s seat he lunged from the backseat up to the driver’s seat and that’s when things really went bad,” Michael said.
He said the suspect tried to put the car in drive and pumped the gas multiple times with Mrs. Jones still inside the car, switching the gear until she was able to grab the key.
“I was not able to jump out of the car because I had a broken ankle so I was sort of helpless,” Dee said.
“He luckily did not get that car into drive, and if he had of my wife would have been gone,” Michael said.
Police say the suspect didn’t stop until 64-year-old Mr. Jones eventually pulled him out of the car and the two tussled.
“Me and him struggled and scuffled a little bit. I got him on the ground, and I actually had him in a headlock and then he got loose,” Michael said. “You get superpowers when this sort of stuff happens, especially when its your family.”
Police say there is surveillance video of the incident. Mr. Jones says he was told DNA testing of the suspect’s blood should come back within 90 days.
If you have any information about the incident, call CrimeStoppers at 528-CASH.
