By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
Atmore police continued this week their search for a man who accosted a local woman and stole her vehicle at knifepoint from a downtown parking space late last week.
Police Chief Chuck Brooks said the incident took place around 12:10 p.m. on Friday, November 9, outside a West Ridgeley Street business.
“When our officers arrived they spoke with a 73-year-old woman whose car had been stolen,” Brooks said. “She was visibly shaken, in total shock, but was not injured.”
The woman told police that she had just gotten into her car and was about to close the door, when the man suddenly appeared.
“She said a male subject grabbed her from the vehicle and put a knife to her body,” Brooks reported. “He told her to give him everything she had and she would not be hurt. He then jumped into the vehicle and took off down the road.”
Several patrol officers searched the area around the incident site but could not find the vehicle. The vehicle’s description and identifying information was entered in the National Crime Information Center database and was found the next morning, abandoned at a location just across the Florida line.
“We immediately entered the vehicle into the NCIC as stolen,” said the police chief. “Saturday morning, the vehicle was recovered in Century, Fla. At that time our Crime Scene Investigation Unit began processing it for any evidence it might contain.”
Brooks said police are following up on “a couple of solid leads” that could help them identify the carjacker and eventually take him into custody.