Fremont police ask for help in identifying carjacking suspect
Alleged suspect in carjacking. Courtesy: Fremont Police Department. Dec. 1, 2017.
FREMONT, Calif. (BCN) - Fremont police are asking for the public's help in finding a suspect who allegedly carjacked a work truck from a landscaper on Wednesday afternoon.
The landscaper was getting his equipment ready as he was preparing to mow a lawn at a residence in the 4400 block of Caren Street in Fremont's Irvington neighborhood at about 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday when an unknown male approached on foot and asked him for water, police said.
The landscaper gave the man a bottle of water and then turned his back to continue on with his work, but a few seconds later the man slapped the landscaper with a glove from behind and got into the driver's seat of the landscaper's truck, according to police.
The keys to the truck had been left in the cab and after a brief struggle the suspect drove off in the landscaper's vehicle southbound on Caren Street, police said.
The landscaper wasn't injured.
Officers immediately responded to the scene and searched for the suspect and during a canvass of the area they located video surveillance cameras at a nearby residence which contained footage showing the suspect walking in the area just before the incident occurred, police said.
The suspect is described by police as a Hispanic male about 28 years old who was wearing a checkered shirt and brown pants.
Police said the landscaper's vehicle is a gray 1991 Toyota Tacoma with a white tool box and its license plate No. 4G36603.
The bed of the truck contained landscaping equipment, including a chainsaw and a trimmer, according to police.
Fremont police have released photos of the suspect in an effort to identify him, as it's believed that he may be known locally to the area.
Police said anyone with information about the suspect or the carjacking should contact Detective Butcher at Bbutcher@fremont.gov or call (510) 790-6900.