Piedmont Woman Narrowly Escapes Carjacking Attempt

A Piedmont woman escaped a carjacking attempt on Ronada Avenue this morning (Friday) when her screams apparently frightened off a group of young men — one armed with a handgun — trying to steal her BMW, a Piedmont Police Department spokesman said.

Detective George Phifer said the woman was not injured in the attempt and only her keys were taken. The attempted carjacking happened about 11:15 a.m. in the 100 block of Ronada Avenue, he said.

The would-be carjackers were driving a blue Ford Escape and a witness gave police a partial license number from that vehicle, Phifer said. 

The partial number was circulated to nearby police department and matched up with an Escape had been stolen in a carjacking in Oakland shortly after midnight today, he said.

Phifer said the carjacking was reported by an Oakland woman who lives just outside the Piedmont city limits. She was driving on Moraga Avenue this morning when she saw the Escape, occupied by a group of young men, make an unexpected U-turn.

The group seemed suspicious to the woman and she followed them onto Ramona Avenue, then lost sight of them briefly. The woman then spotted two of the men standing next to a BMW parked on Ronada. They ran away and drove off in the Escape as she approached, Phifer said.

The woman pulled up to the BMW, whose driver immediately said, "Carjacking," he said.

Phifer said the BMW driver didn't try to resist the carjackers physically but did scream loudly. The carjackers apparently thought that would attract the attention of several people working nearby, so they fled, he said.

The carjackers are described as three or four young African American men, ages about 17 to 21, Phifer said. One of the men was armed with a handgun, he sid.

The investigation is continuing this afternoon.

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