Car crashes into KFC in Queens during attempted carjacking, suspect arrested
NEW YORK -- Police say a vehicle slammed into a KFC in Queens during an attempted carjacking Monday afternoon.
Workers spent Monday night boarding up a combination KFC/Pizza Hut hours after a car crashed into it, leaving a giant hole in front.
As CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis reports, cellphone video shows officers removing a man from the car, putting him in handcuffs.
Police say it all started around 2 p.m. when they were called to the Rite Aid on Union Turnpike for a shoplifting report. The suspect allegedly spotted police and ran off.
Surveillance cameras from a nearby business captured a man in a white t-shirt running across Parsons Boulevard, trying to get into a parked car.
Police say the suspect attempted to wrestle the 57-year-old driver out of the car, which then accelerated, crashing into the restaurant.
"I was parked right there, and he almost missed me by a second. He could have hit me since I was like right there. So I just heard it and I moved," Olga Valarezo said.
Valarezo says it was scary watching it all unfold.
"I heard the cops screaming and the guy came speeding up all the way and crashed into the KFC. And then I saw the police tried to take them out," she said.
The victim was able to walk out of the car, bloody, telling police the suspect said he was armed.
In the cellphone video, the victim can be heard saying, "He got a knife in his hand. He said he had a gun."
The victim's family didn't want to go on camera but sent CBS2 the following statement:
"We're very grateful my cousin is okay, this could have been a lot worse. The bus stop is five feet away and if there were anyone there this could have been a tragic day for many families. I hope this wasn't a repeat offender let out on bail reform. The crime has clearly skyrocketed and innocent people are getting the brunt."
We're told the victim is banged up but, thankfully, home from the hospital.
At last check, police said the suspect is still hospitalized and charges are pending.