Update March 16: Police reported the stolen vehicle was recovered March 15 in Woodland, and that all three cases remained under investigation.
ºÙºÙÊÓƵ police are investigating an armed carjacking and two other weapons-involved incidents on campus over the last week.
BEWARE
- See box below for information on a rise in vehicle burglaries and thefts of catalytic converters, and how you can help protect your property.
At about 7 p.m. Sunday (March 13), a student had just returned to their car on Extension Center Drive when a suspect pounded on the window, pointed a handgun and demanded they get out of the vehicle.
The suspect drove off in the victim’s 2018 gray Dodge Challenger R/T, followed by a white sedan. The cars were last seen westbound on Hutchison Drive toward Highway 113.
Police obtained a description of the man who approached and took the car — white, in his 20s, wearing a dark colored hoodie and surgical mask — but not the driver of the white sedan.
Police issued a crime alert after the carjacking, and two others after incidents occurring the night of Tuesday, March 8:
- 8:20 p.m. on Hutchison Drive near ºÙºÙÊÓƵ West Village — The victims were driving east on Hutchison Drive when they pulled up behind a silver Nissan Sentra stopped in the road before the traffic circle at Hutchison Place. When they honked at the stopped vehicle, a man got out, pointed a handgun and cursed at them. He then drove off toward Highway 113. The suspect was described as white, in his 40s, wearing an unbuttoned baseball jersey.
- 8:50 p.m. on Hutchison Drive near Extension Center Drive — As a silver SUV passed a bicyclist, the person in the front passenger seat fired a BB gun several times at the bicyclist, who sustained one hit to the leg but did not require medical attention. Police are seeking two suspects but have no descriptions.
ºÙºÙÊÓƵ detectives are actively investigating all three incidents. Anyone with information on these cases is asked to contact campus police at 530-752-1727.
POLICE ADVISORY
Vehicle burglaries and thefts of catalytic converters continue to be a problem locally and statewide. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 16 vehicle burglaries and 13 catalytic converter thefts reported on the Davis campus.
Avoid leaving valuable items such as laptops, purses or phones in your car or at least keep them out of sight or locked away. Where possible, park in a well-lit area or closer to an entrance where there is more likely to be pedestrian traffic. Aftermarket security devices are available that can be attached to catalytic converters, making them harder to remove. Please report suspicious activities to police: 530-752-1727.
Media Resources
Media Contact
- Andy Fell, News and Media Relations, 530-304-8888, ahfell@ucdavis.edu