OT: Got Carjacked last night

[Axeman]

I still can't believe it happened to me...around 10:45pm 3 guys and a girl set me up here in Van Nuys. I wasn't driving the Porsche THANK GOD!! They blocked me with their lowered Honda Accord and then made me get out of my car at gun point, took the car and ran off. I had my wallet with a couple hundred $$, cell phone and everything...I started running after my car, and saw a few guys outside their apartment. They let me use the phone to call 911 and luckily they found the car within 25 min a few blocks down. After hours of paperworks, they took me over there and made me identify the criminals, there were 7 of them piled up in my SUV. I pointed out 2 of the males and the girl so they're off to state prison for a long time, one of them might get 25 years to life. In the meantime cops traced these people to a different house a few miles away, we went out there and found a different Honda with stolen plates. They found my wallet in that car and a few people that were living in a trailer on that side yard had my driver's license and a few of my credit cards plus a bunch of purses, men's watch, etc..so they're all linked together and are off to jail as well. Crazy night, but I'm glad it's over and I was able to put 10-15 criminals behind bars..I've done my good deed for the year!
Now it's time for me to move back to Germany and live a peaceful life..I can't take L.A any longer!!!
Thanks for letting me vent...

[carnut169]

Thats just insane.

[targa80]

Wow! That sucks big time, I'm glad you kept a level head and was able to recover all of your posession's. Plus hopefully help put some pond scum away for a long time.

[scottb]

Where in Van Nuys?

[usafa]

That sucks. Glad you got your stuff back though.

I'll bet that if you were driving your Porsche, you would have gotten away though!

[MotoSook]

Axeman, you now have a deserving name...off to prison with the scums. Glad it turned out in your favor.

[Axeman]

It happened on the corner of Sherman Way and Sepulveda.
I think carjackers should get the chair..and let me operate the switch!!

[ZAMIRZ]

Wow, glad you're alright and thank god they didn't shoot you.

later,

amir

[Kurt B]

I was at Ventura and Sepulveda last night until around 10pm. The Sherman Oaks Galleria. Sherman way and Sepulveda ain't a bad place really--in my mind--until now. I'm in just as much shock as you are, but I am very glad you weren't hurt!

[Tim Walsh]

dude.. that's insane.. I"ve been mugged before but's crazy. I'm glad to hear you're alright and that you got your stuff back

[Adam]

I am astounded. I can't believe it!

When I hear stories of this sort of thing, I tend to let my mind wander off to a distant Jackie Chan movie, where he kicks hell out of the perps, but in reality you did exactly the right thing. It's not worth dying over an SUV or even your Porsche. What a bonus managing to get the PD involved so quickly and busting their asses!

Having unbalanced, crack-head car-jackers point cheap guns at you, must be terrifying. Talk to someone about it, man.

It reminds me of an article I read a while back, about a guy who was arrested for driving around with a Thunder5 (5 shot pistol, chambered for .410 bore) in his lap and a Claymore anti-personnel mine mounted (pointing out) in his driver's door. He was looking for Car-Jackers. He would have blown himself to bits.

[wdarner]

I am glad you are OK. Possessions? Well, they are just possessions.

[ZAMIRZ]

Originally posted by Kurt B
I was at Ventura and Sepulveda last night until around 10pm. The Sherman Oaks Galleria. Sherman way and Sepulveda ain't a bad place really--in my mind--until now. I'm in just as much shock as you are, but I am very glad you weren't hurt!

Ugh, I hate Sherman Oaks, Studio City, pretty much anything past the 405 heading east on Ventura Blvd. is nasty. Don't even get me started on North Hollywood.

[Bobboloo]

First and foremost. Glad your okay. Unfortunently you can get heldup anywhere. I've lived in LA for 15 years and have never been held up. I've been in some of the worst neighborhoods that this city has to offer with no problem. I was held up when I lived in Texas in one of the nicest neighborhoods Houston had to offer. I was working a stereo shop and was held up and walked into the back room with a gun in my back. Not a good scenario but obviously everything worked out fine because I'm here now.

Good thing that they caught the perps. In my case they were never caught. You should feel good that these guys are off the street now. As time goes by they might have just started shooting people for extra thrills.

[LeeH]

Yikes! Congratulations on catching the crooks and departing with your life!

[HawgRyder]

Hurray for the good guys for a change...and yes...you're lucky they didn't decide to eliminate the witness.
I my case...several years ago in Toronto Canada....had an idiot try to open the passenger door (locked with window half down)...and I let him have 4 rounds of 9mm.
Next day..checked the area....lots of blood but no body...and no report of the incident on TV.
I guess I instantly reformed a would-be criminal.
Bob

[Axeman]

I wish it was legal to carry a weapon with a permit, training etc.. in this city for protection. I had my pocket knife on me and was going to stab one of them that was coming at me with a empty glass bottle, but the black guy still had his hand on the gun ..so I'm not sure I would have made it alive.
If I had a gun though and it was legal, they would have picked up 4 dead bodies for sure...but now they got the next best thing..a very long time in state prison, even though we all have to pay for out of our taxes. They're just going to sit around and watch TV all day and pump iron and get stronger for when they get out.
I was told that carjacking is a major fellony now in L.A. and they're looking at 10 years minimum. I hope that's true...

[Joe Bob]

Reason #203 that I moved out of SmelLA......

Z....

Glad you are OK....AND got the wallet back. BTW....I would still cancel all the credit cards.....ya never know if they cloned them. That's one of the new scams....reading the guys credit card and giving it back....

[tiorio]

Thanks for sharing the story, glad you were unharmed AND got your stuff back.

For those out-of-town, it ain't a bad area. I had my truck stolen last year from a couple of miles away at Ventura and Van Nuys. It was parked on a residential street, well lit, bunch of late 90s cars there as well. Next morning, a pile of broken glass and no truck.

The real b!tch was that it was a freakin' 1988 Toyota 4X4 with 250k miles on it. Stock, not a big 'high-fiver' truck.

Either way, I have no idea what it feels like to have a gun pointed at your face in a random act like that. If I wasn't from here I'd go back home too!

[Mike Feinstein]

Lets hope some over-eager public defender doesn't get them probation because you somehow invaded their civil rights!