[Lincolnparkdc] Carjacking around 1230 Independence Ave (our garage entrance for 159 Kentucky) 2130 Tuesday

[Paul Krupa]

Last night Jessica was assaulted by two carjacking thugs around 2130 Tuesday. She had returned home and unloaded bags into the garage before locking up the car and heading to the rear gate entrance. Per the video, two young men, each wearing a light colored hoody, were approaching eastwardly on the Northside sidewalk about 25 meters away. She failed to see them as she approached the gate entrance inside our iron fence yard. The perpetrators followed quickly surprising her, grabbing her bag as she was preparing to unlock the door. The three struggled in a tug of war over her bag as they demanded her keys, phone and bag, maybe even threatening her. Jessica gave them her keys and they ran to the car squealing away as a male bystander ran up to help Jessica and call 911.
The police arrived quickly and were very helpful and supportive. We had recently attached Apple tracking tags to the keys and Jessica was able to show the police where the keys were. About an hour later they located the car in a parking lot near some apartments on Benning Road. She went to retrieve the car and drove it back after the police dusted for prints and made a futile search for the key fob tracker.
I had contacted the locksmith and they showed up later that evening to change the locks on the doors but were not equipped to changed the dead bolt gate key which left Jessica nervous about potential egress into the back yard. They did come today to complete the work.
Since we did not recover the fob key I ordered a steering wheel lock to prevent the car from being driven since the thugs could have returned to steal the car again. Jessica took it to work today and parked at the airport to mitigate that risk.
The car was not damaged and I suspect the thugs intended to drive it today. The key fob did seem to move a bit indicating they had kept them. But now they are showing up last seen in the middle of a Benning Road intersection.
Paul
159 Kentucky