"The individual that wanted the car, they can have the car, but they cannot have the child," said Perris resident Mario Zamarripa.
Like other residents in the neighborhood, Zamarripa almost couldn't believe what happened Monday morning when a woman was able to fight off a carjacking long enough, so she could get her 1-year-old child out of the vehicle first.
"Very brave woman and thankfully she's OK, the child's OK," said Riverside County Sheriff's Deputy Melissa Nieburger.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Dept. said the suspects used mace on the woman and took off in the truck.
"We did broadcast all this information out to surrounding agencies in an effort to locate the suspect," said Nieburger.
It was only about 30 minutes later that police officers in Riverside spotted the vehicle at Indiana Ave. and Myers St. They tried to pull the vehicle over, but they took off and lost control on the wet pavement and went up onto a front yard, overturning on the grass.
"We heard a big screech and then a big 'boom,' and that's when we walked out of the office and saw the car sliding, actually," said eyewitness Ryan Clark.
Clark says that's when Riverside Police moved in to make the arrest.
"Probably 12, 15 cops had guns drawn on them," said Clark.
Marcus Williams, 18, of Riverside is one suspect. The other suspect is only 14.
Detectives say this was the second time they struck. Police say earlier Monday morning, the suspects carjacked another vehicle in Moreno Valley and crashed that one too.
None of the victims were hurt.
"I have a wife and kids. I couldn't imagine her being in that situation. That's pretty brave of her, but I'm sure any decent mother would do that," said Clark.
Police found a number of electronic items in the stolen truck, including GPS devices and MP3 players.
Police confirmed at least two carjackings that took place Monday. There may be others. Call Perris Police (951) 210-1053 if you have information related to the case or about area vehicle burglaries.
