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Renton Police warn of 'staged accidents' used to carjack victims
Renton Police are on high alert after they say a minor car accident was just a ruse to stealing a victim's car.
RENTON, Wash. - Renton Police are on high alert after they say a minor car accident was just a ruse to stealing a victim's car.
The incident happened Friday around 9:42 p.m. on Rainier Ave S as a man left the parking lot of a big box store. Police spokesperson Cyndie Morris says this isn't the first time something like this has happened.
However, in addition to those occurring in Bellevue, she saw the need to issue a community-wide alert.
"The random acts of violence cannot be predicted, so it's almost impossible to prevent them," Morris said.
In this case, the usual trip to the store quickly became a nightmare for the man who was traveling with two children in the backseat.
"I don't know how long they were being watched," Morris said.
They were rear-ended purposefully—which authorities say was staged to steal their car. According to the victim, three men in ski masks jumped out of the vehicle as he turned to check on the children in the backseat. One of them opened the rear door and pointed a gun at them.
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"At that same time, one of the other suspects went to the driver's window pointed a gun at the driver told him to get out of the car," Morris said.
Meanwhile, a third masked man got in the passenger’s seat. The man and the kids got out.
"It's just a very brazen thing to do," Morris said.
The suspects left in both the victim's car and the car they hit them in. They're described as three dark-skinned males, wearing dark clothing and ski masks, ranging in height 5’9" to 5’11", with one suspect having short dreadlocks.
Morris says Rainier Ave is such a busy road, stretching through other jurisdictions, and after hearing of a similar stint in Bellevue, she wanted to warn drivers.
"You're typically always going to be your most vulnerable, where you're most comfortable," Morris said.
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Despite it, Morris says it's all about opportunity—which you can help prevent. Her number one recommendation is staying vigilant as this can happen at any time.
"You really should be paying attention to anybody that might be behind you; do a couple of laps around your neighborhood before you go straight home," Morris recommended.
If someone is following you, you can swing by a police or fire station that's open 24/7 or go to a heavy trafficked area. Once you're there, she says lay on your horn. The goal is to attract attention.
Throwing in an Air Tag or some sort of GPS app to track your car is also very helpful in such cases.
But, if you do find yourself in a minor accident and you don't feel safe, you can always take off and call 911 while getting to a safe location.
"Ultimately, at the end of the day, it's really about just getting safe and making sure [you] don't try to be a superhero; they've got this planned out," Morris said.
It’s important to mention that not every fender-bender will end this way, but if you are in this situation or have a bad feeling about it, the important thing is getting out of there.
"Just run as fast as you can because that property—that car—is replaceable. You are not," Morris said.
Renton Police are working on getting video surveillance from nearby businesses. It's still too early to tell if this case is connected to similar incidents in Bellevue.