DETROIT (WXYZ) — A 40-year-old woman was carjacked at gunpoint Friday night on Detroit's west side when two masked suspects approached her vehicle and forced her out at Memorial and Schoolcraft.
Watch Faraz Javed's video report:
Detroit Police said the suspects, wearing ski masks, approached the woman around 11 p.m. while she sat in her white Jeep using her phone.
"They knocked on the window, asked if she was a Uber driver. She said no, and then they forced her car door open and told her to get out," Dian Gaylor said.
Gaylor, an area resident, witnessed the carjacking unfold from her bedroom window with her mother.
"My mother and I were getting ready for bed and heard this noise, and I looked out because he said Hurry up, hurry up, and I said Look, ma, something's going on," Gaylor said.
When the suspects couldn't start the vehicle, they forced the victim to help them start the car, according to Gaylor. The woman initially ran toward a nearby alley for safety but was pulled back to the vehicle.
One suspect eventually drove off with the Jeep and crashed at Evergreen and Grand River, about 4 minutes away from the carjacking location, police said.
An 18-year-old suspect was arrested after the crash. Police are still searching for the second suspect.
Gaylor said the incident shook the typically peaceful neighborhood, which includes families and a church.
"I was informed that they were walking down Schoolcraft and they saw her sitting in her car on her phone, not paying attention to what was going on around her," Gaylor said.
The witness emphasized the importance of situational awareness and community involvement.
"When you see something, say something, you know, and I should have asked the young lady, do I need to call the police to help you, and also pay attention to, especially pay attention to your surroundings," Gaylor said.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Detroit Police Commercial Auto Theft Unit.
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