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Carjacking suspect thwarted by determined owner
Job Daniel Garcia
Job Garcia

A suspect’s attempt to steal a utility truck hit a speed bump when the driver of the truck refused to let it go, which ultimately led to an arrest, the Turlock Police Department reported.

The incident began around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 400 block of S. Golden State Boulevard. The initial call to the police department reported a utility truck had just sped by with a man hanging off the side of the truck, said Turlock Police spokesman Sgt. Mike Parmley.

The police soon learned the call was related to a carjacking when the victim of the carjacking called from the bed of the stolen pickup truck.

The owner of the truck was unloading some items when the suspect jumped into the truck and started to drive away, but before he got completely away the owner grabbed onto the utility bed and held on as the driver sped off.

The victim was able to jump into the back of the pickup truck and call the police with his cell phone — all the while the suspect was trying to throw him off the vehicle by driving recklessly, Parmley said.

The suspect, later identified as Job Daniel Garcia, 23, of Livingston, lost control of the truck and struck a parked car in the area of Carrigan Street and Old Vineyard Road.

Garcia fled the area on foot, but was located soon after in an alley just south of Charles Place. He was taken into custody on suspicion of carjacking and aggravated assault.

The owner of the truck was not injured in the incident.

The incident did prompt a school lockdown, just as a precautionary measure.