Tennessee man arrested in connection with Pinole carjacking

The victim was injured after being dragged a short distance, according to police.

PINOLE – A 34-year-old Tennessee man was arrested on suspicion of carjacking a person and dragging them a short distance over the weekend in Pinole, police said.

The incident happened around 2:15 p.m. Saturday in the 1500 block of Fitzgerald Drive, according to the Pinole Police Department. Officers arrived to find the male victim lying on the ground between the Best Buy and former Kmart buildings. He was treated at the scene for cuts and scrapes.

The victim told officers he had tried to reach into his car to stop the suspect and was dragged from the parking lot of a Motel 6 across the street to the area where he was found. Police said the victim and suspect had met just days earlier at the motel.

Two witnesses stopped to help the victim, and all three provided a description of the suspect to officers.

Around 3:10 p.m., a deputy with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office spotted the stolen car on San Pablo Dam Road near Milton road. Deputies tried to stop the suspect, who instead led them in a pursuit though Richmond, El Cerrito, Albany and Berkeley, according to police.

Police said the suspect ran several lights and drove on the wrong side of the road during the chase.

The suspect eventually stopped near the intersection of University and San Pablo avenues and was safely taken into custody. There were no crashes and no one was injured during the chase, according to police.

Police said the suspect was arrested and booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on charges of carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon and felony evading.

Anyone with information related to the case can contact Officer Mario Esparza at 510-724-1111.