'Really scary' | Woman says she was carjacked at gunpoint after leaving restaurant near Hillview | Crime Reports

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A woman is sharing her story in hopes of helping others, saying she was carjacked in Louisville Monday night.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said she went to pick up a to-go dinner at El Acapulco Mexican Restaurant near Hillview by the Jefferson County - Bullitt County line and was carjacked while she was trying to leave to go home.

LMPD confirms police took a report of a carjacking in the 5400 block of Antle Drive just after 8 p.m. Monday. The robbery unit is handling the investigation and the case is still open. LMPD said the vehicle has been found, but no one has been arrested yet. However, "efforts are ongoing to find those responsible."

"I was just getting in my car and sat down in my car and went to go shut my door and then that's when it happened," the woman told WDRB News.

She said a man grabbed onto the car's door.

"He didn't pull the weapon out at first. We basically kind of played tug-of-war with my door," she said. "I wasn't just going to let him take my car. That's when he pulled the gun out and that's when I pretty much gave up because it wasn't worth it."

She said a second man got into the passenger seat after she was forced out of her car.

"It was really scary," she said.

She had her wallet and phone in her other hand, which she said the man took. The woman's husband later found her phone smashed not too far away.

She said car was found wrecked. She said people need to be aware when getting into and out of their cars and she hopes telling her story will help someone else.

"It's just crazy. I did look around the restaurant because the restaurant wasn't very busy and I didn't see them myself," she said.

A manager at El Acapulco told WDRB News Wednesday afternoon that the restaurant was aware of the incident and investigation and said something like this had never happened here before.

According to LMPD, there have been more than 110 armed carjackings in Louisville this year, down about 33% from the previous year.

Last week, several juveniles were arrested in connection to a string of armed carjackings across areas of south and east Louisville. One of the stolen cars crashed into the sign at Pleasant View Baptist Church at South 26th and West Oak streets in Louisville's Parkland neighborhood. Police recovered several stolen cars, but the identities of those arrested weren't released due to their ages.

Courtney Richardson lives in one of the areas, and said it's sad but not all that surprising.

"I mean, I think if people valued their own things they have themselves or when you work hard for something yourself, you have a different value and things," Richardson said to WDRB News last week. "People work so hard for what you have. And just for someone to steal it, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Earlier this month, Louisville Metro Police Detective Nathaniel Hernandez said often, carjackings are crimes of opportunity.

"They may be seen sitting in their vehicles at which point individuals approach them, produce a firearm and demand keys or demand their vehicle and steal it, take it from there," Hernandez said.

Less than one month ago, Melanie McDermott said she was leaving work for the day when she was carjacked in Lyndon. At least three people were involved, she said: the driver and two others who got out and approached her.

"The other person came around the back of my car, pointed a gun in my face and said 'Give me everything now' and kind of shoved me," McDermott said to WDRB News. "And I just threw myself flat down on the concrete and I said, 'It's all there. Just take it. ... Take everything there. It's all there. Just don't hurt me and go.'"

LMPD provided four tips to help prevent yourself from becoming a victim of a carjacking:

Park in busy, well-lit areas
Always be aware and limit distractions such as cell phone use, make eye contact
If someone is approaching your vehicle drive away
Be a good witness (get detail of clothing & physical descriptors) and call 911 as soon as it is safe to do so

Police said people should remove firearms, purses, wallets and keys from vehicles when parked for an extended period of time or overnight. Drivers should also lock their vehicles, even when pumping gas.

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