Minnesota Officers are warning the public about the rise in 'bump-and rob' carjackings that are happening.

An incident happened this past week at the intersection of Roselawn Avenue East and Edgerton Street in Maplewood, MN near a school. The Ramsey County Sherriff's Office shared that story and the warning to the public on their Facebook page.

They stated that the incident is called a 'bump-and-run' carjacking. Where you're driving along and then all of a sudden you feel a hit on your back bumper. Naturally, your instinct is to find a safe place to pull over and exchange insurance information.
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The Sherriff's Office shared the story that a man was in his black Mazda CX-5 waiting to turn into a parking lot when a white Dodge Journey pulled up behind him and tapped his bumper. The man got out to check on the situation, and it quickly turned violent.
One of the four people in the minivan jumped out, pointed a gun at him, and then drove off in his SUV. The Sherriff's Office went on to say that their Carjacking and Auto Theft (CAT) team is looking for the suspects. They also stated that this sort of 'bump-and-run' tactic has been an ongoing problem in cities like Chicago.
Super unfortunate that something like this is on the rise. The Sherriff's Office shared some tips on what you can do to protect yourself from being prayed on by carjacking thieves:
  • Stay vigilant and aware of your surroundings—head up, eyes on other vehicles, ready to make a move.
  • Call 911 right away to report the incident—officers can’t respond to every fender bender, but alerting dispatch of the initial incident can expedite a response, if necessary.
  • Trust your instincts, if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Tell the 911 call taker what happened and drive to a police station.
  • If you have any concerns at all, drive to a well-lit, busy location to exchange information, such as police stations, gas stations, etc.
  • Never put your personal safety at risk, don't risk your life for a vehicle.

They did share an update to their Facebook page, as they arrested the six-car thieves:

Drive safe out there, especially with the winter months upon us.

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