Modesto Police Track Down, Arrest Carjacking Suspect With Help From Bystanders
MODESTO (CBS13) - Police are crediting the public for helping them catch a carjacking suspect.
The first incident happened as the victim loaded their vehicle at the Amtrak station on Monday around 8 a.m. The suspect, 37-year-old Leonard Rosas of Ceres, allegedly carjacked the vehicle and left the scene. In the process, Rosas allegedly injured the victim, according to a Modesto Police Department statement.
Officers searched for the suspect but came up empty-handed.
Later that day, a citizen reported a suspicious vehicle in the 2300 block of Lincoln Oak Drive that turned out to be the vehicle that was stolen earlier in the morning. Then, later on, Ceres police were called out to a theft in the 1000 block of Oakdale Road.
When officers arrived, they learned Rosas had allegedly stolen a purse from a female in the Dunkin' Donuts' parking lot, pulled her from the vehicle, and attempted to carjack her vehicle but was unsuccessful.
A good Samaritan who witnessed the theft followed the suspect and provided dispatch with updates on their location. Modesto Police officers and detectives responded to the scene where they found a security guard holding the suspect at gunpoint. Officers and detectives took the suspect into custody without further incident.
Rosas was arrested on charges of robbery, carjacking, vehicle theft, attempted carjacking, and punishment for inflicting injury on a person while committing a felony. He is being held on approximately $1 million bail.
Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Detective Wilson at Wilsond@modestopd.com.