COLUMBIA, S.C. — Columbia Police officers have arrested three teens and one man who they believe are connected to multiple carjacking incidents. The young men were allegedly approaching people with weapons drawn and stealing cars for the last three Sundays in a row.
The group racked up multiple charges of armed robbery, criminal conspiracy, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Sergeant Alec Maurer has been patrolling the streets of Columbia for the last seven years and said carjackings are nothing new.
“They can happen at any time, depending on what's going on. We hate for them to occur, but there are certain things that you can do if you ever are in that situation that can help you," Maurer said.
In the last three weeks, every Sunday from June 9 until the 23, there have been carjackings taking place. The robberies started in the Grand Street neighborhood, with the suspects holding a man at gunpoint to steal his 2020 Chevy Equinox.
The next vehicle was a Toyota Camry from the same neighborhood.
The criminals even held an eight-year-old boy and his father at gunpoint in the Ulmer Road neighborhood last weekend to steal the keys to their Silverado.
Sergeant Maurer said it does not matter what type of vehicle; criminals will take what they can get in carjacking.
“They're doing it temporarily so they can get from point A to point B in their situation,” Maurer said.
Staying aware of your surroundings when getting in and out of your car is Maurer's first tip—however, his best advice for something as violent as carjacking starts with controlling your reactions.
“The biggest thing you want to do is you want to do is comply. Don't escalate the situation by any means; this can sometimes make matters worse," Maurer said. "That can mean making flinching movements or arguing; sometimes, that can sometimes cause them to act differently. Always comply. Usually, the items that they're going for in these types of situations are material. They're looking for your possessions. The possessions can be replaced. Your life can't. Always do what they're saying, and remain calm during the situation to help yourself."
Officers also encourage folks not to let their guard down. Always be aware of what is nearby, whether a car is parked in a busy shopping center or a driveway.
Maurer said all of the cars stolen in the carjackings over the last three weeks have since been recovered using a special license plate scanning technology Columbia Police use. The tech can scan a tag and determine whether the car has been reported missing or stolen.