MIAMI (WSVN) - A carjacking victim took matters into his own hands after two armed crooks tried to drive off in his pickup truck in Miami, and it was all caught on camera.
City of Miami Police responded to a 7-Eleven gas station in the area of Northwest Seventh Avenue and 79th Street at approximately 7:30 p.m. on June 30.
Officials said one man was sitting in the front passenger seat of a 2004 Nissan Frontier pickup truck when a newer model gray Nissan Altima pulled up beside him and two armed men got out.
The driver of the pickup truck was near the bed of the vehicle securing a dirt bike when one of the armed men approached him and demanded his belongings.
“I turn around, and next thing you know, I got this guy with a gun facing me telling me to just chill and get out of his way,” said the driver, who did not want to be identified. “It was honestly the craziest thing. Right there and then is when I came to realize that I could have died.”
A second armed man, meanwhile, approached a second victim, the driver’s friend, who was inside of the truck and demanded he give up his belongings.
“He didn’t realize that they were coming, and they came right up on him. They point the gun to him, and they told him, ‘Get out of the car,'” the driver said. “They smacked him over there. He panicked, he backed up, and he said, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. Chill, chill, chill.'”
Surveillance footage shows both of the crooks fighting with the victims before the victim inside of the truck was able to run inside of the gas station for safety.
Meanwhile, the driver remained outside and was able to grab his own shotgun, but it did not deter the crooks from jumping into the truck and fleeing from the scene.
The driver could be seen jumping onto the bed of the truck as the armed carjackers drove off.
“I just went into instant like blackout mode and just said, ‘You know what? I just need to get my stuff back,'” the driver said.
After driving a short distance from the scene, the thieves saw the victim armed with his gun, stopped the vehicle and fled on foot.
“The truck starts swerving. The passenger had hopped out, but the driver kept going,” the driver said.
The driver said there was a gunfight between him and the crooks.
“I can say that it was a little hard to sleep just ’cause it kept playing in my mind and playing in my head because it could have gone a hundred different ways,” the driver said.
Detectives are looking for two men, both believed to be around 20 to 21 years old and standing about 5 feet 7 inches tall to 5 feet 8 inches tall. Police are also looking for a third suspect described as the crooks’ getaway driver.
“I just want whoever did it to admit they were wrong for it,” the driver said. “At some point, they were going to do it again to someone, and I would hate for anybody to go through that again.”
One of the crooks was last seen wearing a white T-shirt covering his face, while his partner was last seen wearing a black and white T-shirt covering his face.
If you have any information on this armed carjacking, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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