WASHINGTON — Police are asking for the public's help to find three people who tried to carjack a D.C. bartender earlier this month. Detectives released images of the wanted people on Monday.
Randy White was on his way to work at Calico Saturday and had stopped to grab a few items from the convenience store at the nearby Sunoco on 9th Street NW when he was approached from behind.
The entire attack was caught on the gas station's surveillance camera.
It shows three young men — whom White describes as teenagers — loitering in the parking lot of the gas station.
Then, as White walks to his car, they run after him and grab him.
The police report said one of the attackers told him, "give me your s***."
"I didn't want to fight him. I knew what was coming. I knew they were going to try and take my car," White said. "But like, I worked way too hard for myself just to relinquish it like that."
He said one of the three put him in a chokehold, knocking him to the ground, which caused his keys to also fall to the ground.
He and one of the attackers grabbed at the car keys in a sort of tug-of-war, and he said the key fob ended up splitting in half.
"The other guy was able to run, get inside the car, but I was tying up the other dude long enough, because I was just thinking, if I can just tie him up long enough, maybe a little -- just cut their losses and get on, so that's basically what ended up happening," White said.
The video also shows White climbing into the back of his car to gain access to the person who had jumped into the driver's seat.
Soon after he did so, though, the three of them got out and ran away.
"It was a hell of a way to ruin your day," he said.
Police are searching for those involved to charge them with robbery for taking the key fob.
Anyone who recognizes the people in the photos above should contact police at 202-727-9099, or text the department's tip line at 50411.