Michael John Wood Of Florida Brought Back To Orange County To Face Charges In Violent Carjacking Of Elderly Lake Forest Couple
SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — A man police say carjacked an elderly couple in Lake Forest last year has been arrested and extradited back to Orange County from Florida to face felony charges.
Michael John Wood, 42, of Jensen Beach, Fla. was arrested on June 25, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. He has been charged with carjacking, inflicting injury on an elder adult, second-degree robbery and personal use of a deadly weapon – all felonies.
Wood was arrested in connection with a Dec. 20, 2020 carjacking in Lake Forest. During the attack, prosecutors say a woman was pushed to the ground as she unloaded groceries from a car in Lake Forest and a man was slashed in the neck by a box cutter. The masked attacker took off with a wallet and their vehicle.
The victims survived the attack. The vehicle was later recovered on Dec. 31, 2020. From samples collected from the victim's neck and other items found in the car, Wood was identified as a possible suspect in the carjacking.
The investigation revealed that Wood lived in Lake Forest at the time of the carjacking, but was eventually found living in Florida. After his arrest, he was extradited back to Orange County and booked on July 20.
Wood is being held on $1 million bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 26. If convicted as charged, he faces a maximum sentence of 14 years and 8 months.