When steal attempt failed, man resorted to carjacking try at Merced 7-Eleven, police say
A 46-year-old Merced man was arrested on suspicion of attempting to carjack a vehicle in front of a 7-Eleven in Merced on Friday morning, according to police.
Officers responded to the 7-Eleven at 1810 R Street at 12:52 a.m. Friday for a disturbance call, according to a social media post by the Merced Police Department.
The victim parked his car in front of the 7-Eleven and then went inside the store to make a purchase. The suspect, Paul Benitez, 46, got inside the vehicle and tried to steal it, but the keys were with the victim inside the store.
Benitez waited for the victim to exit and attacked him to get the keys. Benitez fled the area but was located by officers near West 18th Street and O Street.
The victim identified Benitez as his attacker. The victim was not injured.
Officers recovered surveillance footage which captured the entire incident. Benitez was booked into custody at the Merced County Jail. His bond was set at $100,000, according to jail records.
Merced police are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to contact Detective Edwin Arias at 209-388-7826 or by email at ariase@cityofmerced.org.
This story was originally published September 16, 2022 at 6:28 PM.
