Man beaten, carjacked behind CVS Pharmacy in Ventura

VENTURA, Calif. (KABC) -- A man suffered injuries to his face after two male suspects assaulted him during a carjacking in Ventura Friday night.

Around 7:32 p.m., the Ventura Police Department received a 911 call from a man reporting a possible carjacking in the parking lot of the College Square shopping center in the 100 block of N. Ashwood Avenue.

When authorities arrived, they found the victim, 44-year-old Thousand Oaks resident Jose Mena-Loria, and saw that he had injuries to his face. Paramedics treated and released him at the scene.

During the investigation, authorities learned the victim had parked his car in the alley behind the CVS Pharmacy at the shopping center. He was speaking with two women in their 20s before the carjacking happened.

At some point, two men in their 20s approached Mena-Loria and began hitting him in the face, authorities said. The victim was able to escape and run into the business. He said he did not see any weapons during the incident.

The two men then fled the scene in Mena-Loria's gray Nissan Sentra along with an undisclosed amount of cash that was inside. The vehicle had the license plate #6ZCA904.

Authorities said it was unclear what or if there was a connection between the two women and suspects. The investigation was ongoing.

Anyone with information on the incident or who spots the car was urged to call the Ventura Police Department at (805) 339-4488.