Roanoke police are investigating a pair of morning carjackings in the city. The first came around 4:00 am when a woman said as she parked in a lot in the Valley View Mall area, a man told her to get out, and he took off in the vehicle. About three and a half hours later, there was a second carjacking, this one in a residential area of southwest Roanoke: 2700 block of Northview drive. Again, a woman was ordered out of her car. Police say no one hurt in either carjacking, and so far, no arrests reported
(Continue reading for the full Roanoke Police news release.)
On September 12, 2017 at 3:55 a.m. Roanoke Police responded to the 4700 block of Valley View Boulevard to investigate a report of a stolen vehicle. Upon arrival, the victim, a 20-year-old woman from Roanoke, told officers that she had arrived for work and parked in the parking lot in the 4700 block of Valley View. Just as the victim got out of her car, she said she observed a person approaching her, which prompted the victim to get back into her car and lock the doors. The suspect walked up to her driver’s side window, pointed what appeared to be a handgun at her, and told her to get out of her vehicle. The vehicle was a 2001 green Ford Escape. The victim said she got out of the vehicle and the suspect got behind the wheel. At that time, a second suspect got into the vehicle. The vehicle left on Valley View Boulevard toward Interstate 581. The victim was not hurt and ran inside her place of employment after the incident. The suspects were both described as black males, one wearing a white Hollister sweatshirt and the other wearing a dark colored Virginia Tech hoodie.
A few hours later, at 7:34 a.m. Roanoke Police were called to the 2700 block of Northview Drive SW to investigate another carjacking. In this incident, two black males approached another female victim, this one 61 years old, and demanded that she get out of her car. The car was a burgundy 2014 Honda Civic. The victim got out of the car and the two suspects left in her vehicle. This victim was not hurt either. The victim told officers that, while she did not see a handgun, one of the suspects held his hand in his pocket so she assumed he had one. The suspects in this incident matched the descriptions of the suspects involved in the Valley View incident.
Anyone who might have seen these two men, or might have any other information, is encouraged to call the RPD tip line at 540-344-8500. Callers can choose to remain anonymous. No arrests have been made at this time and the investigation is ongoing.
