Autoblog

Nude carjacking spree in AZ leaves seven injured

Zach Bowman — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Videos

Police say a man in Scottsdale, Arizona went on a carjacking spree that left a trail of destruction behind him. John Brigham was reportedly in an accident with another motorist at around 1:30 PM Saturday. Rather than exchange insurance information, Brigham allegedly stripped naked and jumped onto the roof of a Honda CR-V. The man then carjacked a woman driving a Toyota Prius before causing a five-car incident just down the road. Brigham allegedly hit a pregnant woman driving a Lexus before swerving to collide with a Chevrolet pickup truck head-on. He was ejected from the Toyota as a result of the second collision.

Reports say Brigham then began attempting to gain access to other vehicles on the road when police arrived. He was taken into custody without incident, but was transported to a local hospital for injuries sustained during the ordeal. Once released, he could potentially face charges for carjacking, robbery and leaving the scene of an accident. All told, a total of seven individuals were hospitalized by Brigham's rampage. Check out the local news report below.

Continue reading Nude carjacking spree in AZ leaves seven injured

Nude carjacking spree in AZ leaves seven injured originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carjacker who can't drive stick gets ride from victim

Chris Tutor — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety

Note to budding carjackers: Learn to drive a stick shift before heading out to boost a car.

Note to potential carjacking victims: If the thief can't drive a stick, run away and call the cops.

Unfortunately our advice is a little too late for a couple of guys in St. Louis. According to the Associated Press, on Sunday, a motorist was approached in his vehicle by an armed man, who ordered him to move to the passenger seat and demanded his money. The victim handed over $24, at which point the would-be carjacker tried to drive off in the car. Unfortunately for the miscreant (who is obviously not an Autoblog reader), he was totally stymied by the manual transmission.

Either not wanting to get shot or in an effort to save his clutch, the victim reportedly offered to drive the bad guy to his destination. It was either a genius move or there's more to the story than we know.

Either way, when the robber exited the car, he was at least polite enough to thank the guy for a ride. Who says you can't point guns at folks, take their money and still be nice?

Carjacker who can't drive stick gets ride from victim originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: If you're a car thief, you'd best know your diesel from your gasoline

Jeff Glucker — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Audi, UK, Humor, Diesel

2010 Audi A3 TDI - Click above for high-res image gallery

When stealing a vehicle, we imagine the last thing on a thief's mind is thinking is about type of fuel their "new" car requires. However, that's something Daniel Boxall should have considered after acquiring a new set of wheels through less than legal means.

Boxall decided he needed a new whip, so after picking the pocket of Caroline Lyons, he quickly made off with her Audi A4. Nary a Bobby in sight, he decided to pick up his friend Richard Lloyd and go for a spin. Soon thereafter, the pair started to run low on fuel and headed towards the nearest petrol station.

Daniel Boxall proceeded to fill his illicit Audi with regular gasoline - despite the fact that the gas cap had a big 'D' on it. After leaving the station, the two thought their joy-riding session was about to hit full swing. Unfortunately, TDI-equipped Audis don't like chugging gasoline and the car sputtered to a halt just a few hundred yards down the road. The two attempted to sell the car for £100 to a passer-by stopping to help. He declined and became suspicious of the pair, even though they claimed they would have a Porsche by the following day. It's a natural tactic for the logically-thinking impaired... to make outlandish and suspicious boasts of high-end sportscar "purchases" when your ~~£100~~ £13,000 Audi A4 diesel is broken down on the side of the road.

Despite later claims to law enforcement that they were forced to drive the car by a "black drug dealer," CCTV captured the action and the two were sentenced. Boxall received a 12-month suspended sentence and loss of his license for a year while Lloyd got a 180-day stay in prison, 18-month suspension and 12-month driving ban.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Audi A3 TDI

Photos Copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Telegraph]

PSA: If you're a car thief, you'd best know your diesel from your gasoline originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: TN Senator Corker's daughter carjacked, suspects apprehended via OnStar

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Videos, Celebrities

Senator Corker praises OnStar -- Click above to watch the video

Tennessee Senator Bob Corker had this opinion of OnStar a month ago: "Each month I get the bill for OnStar and [I think], 'I don't want to pay this again.'" Then his daughter Julia was carjacked in Washington D.C. last week driving his Chevrolet Tahoe, and having been yanked out of the car by her throat, she was left lying in the street.

Thankfully, Corker's daughter was all right, and she was able to call her father who was nearby. She also remembered that the vehicle as equipped with General Motors' OnStar system, and within an hour, the service had notified the D.C. police that the Tahoe was parked at a Taco Bell seven miles away in Maryland. Corker said that the carjacking happened about 9:15 pm, and by midnight the suspects had been identified and he was headed back home with his daughter.

His opinion of OnStar now: "this is an incredible service." Follow through to the jump to hear about the ordeal in Corker's words (the OnStar talk begins at about 2:15), or check out CNN for the nitty gritty details. And for proof of the extent of Southern politesse, Corker begins the tale with "A gentleman appeared, opened the door, grabbed her by the neck... and he threw her on the pavement and drove away." A "gentleman?" Hat tip to Berto!

[Sources: Politico; CNN]

Continue reading VIDEO: TN Senator Corker's daughter carjacked, suspects apprehended via OnStar

VIDEO: TN Senator Corker's daughter carjacked, suspects apprehended via OnStar originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nigerian goat held by police, accused of armed carjacking

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 09:07:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Humor

There aren't enough police in some areas of Nigeria, so vigilante groups have formed to take up the slack. When vigilantes in Kwara State saw two men trying to carjack a Mazda 323, they went after the baddies. One of the men escaped, but the other man, cornered... um, how do we say this... turned himself into a goat. (That's the actual goat/suspect pictured.) Even as a goat, "he" was apparently just as easy to catch, and the vigilantes took the goat to the police station.

According to Reuters, a police spokesman said "We cannot confirm the story, but the goat is in our custody. We cannot base our information on something mystical. It is something that has to be proved scientifically, that a human being turned into a goat." Yet according to Nigeria's Vanguard newspaper, which first reported the story, a police spokesman "said the goat 'armed robbery suspect' will not be left off the hook until investigations into the case are concluded." We will wait for justice to do its thing, but this comes as no surprise to us - everybody knows that goats love Mazdas.

[Source: Vanguard via Reuters]

Nigerian goat held by police, accused of armed carjacking originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 09:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ganked CA Senator's dubbed-out Charger on eBay

Alex Nunez — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:04:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Sedan, Auctions, Dodge

Click for more high-res images of the taxpayer-funded blingmobile

You may remember the December story involving 62-year-old California State Senate President Pro Tem, Don Perata (D - ~~DUB City~~ Oakland), who got his name in the paper after being jacked at gunpoint for his red 2006 Dodge Charger R/T. Of great amusement to everyone was the news that the Senator apparently rolled with mad flavor. His state-owned HEMI Charger, you see, was fitted with a set of 22" Panther wheels that are straight blingin'. So incongruous was the mental image of Perata rolling on deuce deuces that the police officer taking the carjacking call had to confirm what he'd heard, asking, "We're talking about the suspect's car or the senator's car?"

Anyway, the Senator came through the incident unscathed and the Dodge was later recovered, dubs intact. Good thing, too, because that very car is up for grabs on eBay. You can now rock the party like Don Perata once did. Beyond the flying saucers sitting in the wheel wells, the Charger is stock, with the 5.7L HEMI and full Tupperware/faux wood interior. There are no bids yet, but a "Buy It Now" figure of $24,500 beckons aspiring players. As for the Senator, we wonder what the state has obtained for him this time around. Seeing as he's now shed his 22" training wheels and is ready step things up a level, perhaps Big Don will have the taxpayers set him up with something like this. It seems like it might suit his tastes.

Gallery: CA State Senator Don Perata's '06 Dodge Charger R/T

[Source: eBay via Jalopnik]

Ganked CA Senator's dubbed-out Charger on eBay originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carjackers beware! New bill in Tennessee allows "deadly force" against attackers

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 15:57:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal

Apparently the increase in violent crimes in Tennessee is leading legislators to take some unprecedented actions. They have filed bills that would increase the rights of citizens to bear arms and use those arms with deadly force in certain situations. Like during a carjacking. One bill in particular would allow motorists to kill an attacker that they feel is threatening to "murder, rape, kidnap, rob or carjack the car's occupants." Filing the bill was Rep. Ulysses Jones and Sen. Reginald Tate, two Memphis Democrats. "I've heard a lot of support for this. It's time to give citizens the opportunity to protect themselves. Right now, we're at the mercy of what I call 'scum'," said Jones, a Memphis Fire Department paramedic.

The important shift here is that potential victims had only been allowed the right of defense inside their homes. Extending the right to outside the home, and particularly to a motorist in a vehicle, is a dramatic change. The NRA has helped push similar laws through in Florida, but Tennessee is believed to be the first effort to extend rights to motorists. These so-called "No Retreat" laws change the burden of attackees so that fleeing isn't the only option. Standing your ground and defending yourself and your property is allowed instead.

[Source: Memphis Commercial Appeal]

Carjackers beware! New bill in Tennessee allows "deadly force" against attackers originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Feb 2007 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gunmen ambush Toyota F1 team members in Sao Paulo

Alex Nunez — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 07:48:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Toyota

It's no secret that Sao Paulo can be a dangerous place. Business travelers who frequent the city will be able to tell you about the precautions companies recommend they take to protect themselves. Don't leave the hotel. If you do, don't walk alone. Don't carry a laptop (it makes you an instant target for robbery). Wait for taxis inside the lobby. (Example: Criminals will case the hotels, looking for obvious business travelers waiting outside. This lets them see exactly what car they get into so that they can follow it and stage a carjacking once it's away from the hotel.)

Still, precautions or not, the chance for a run-in with criminals is still good -- something members of the Toyota F1 team learned firsthand this weekend. The car carrying Toyota spokesperson Fernanda Villas-Boas and other team personnel was one in a group of vehicles ambushed by around 20 gun-wielding teens about 2 miles from the venue for this weekend's F1 Grand Prix of Brazil.

According to Villas-Boras, who at one point had a gun pointed at her head as she sat in the car, shots were fired at them as they fled, but fortunately no one was injured. Neither Ralf Schumacher nor Jarno Trulli were among those attacked. In any case, it would seem that the Grand Prix of Brazil is something best enjoyed on television, in the comfort and safety of home.

Thanks to reader Brian McPhail for the tip!

[Source: ESPN]

Gunmen ambush Toyota F1 team members in Sao Paulo originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 Oct 2006 07:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quartet of women in formalwear carjack California man

Chris Paukert — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 15:35:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Government/Legal, Volvo

In what can only be described as an unconventional auto theft, a Suisun City, California man was beaten and carjacked by four formally-dressed women while parking at a 7-Eleven Sunday night.

The gang of four females, estimated to be in their early 20s represented having a gun to the victim's back, and forced him to follow another vehicle to a different location, where he was beaten via hands, feet and an "unknown object." The villainous vixens thereafter relieved the driver of his gold-colored 1997 Volvo 850.

The car hasn't been seen since.

[Sources: Bay City News via SFGate; FilmFanzine.com]

Quartet of women in formalwear carjack California man originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Apr 2006 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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