A Turlock man is accused of carjacking and kidnapping two people at gunpoint after they stopped at a liquor store on the outskirts of town Saturday morning.
Victor Altamirano, 32, was booked into Stanislaus County jail on charges of carjacking, robbery, and kidnapping during the commission of a carjacking. He also had a parole violation. Altamirano is being held in lieu of a $1 million bail, according to jail records.
Altamirano allegedly had a female accomplice in the carjacking that is still being sought by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department. The identity of the woman is not known, nor was a description available.
Around 6:45 a.m. a man and woman stopped at a store on the outskirts of Lander Avenue to buy cigarettes. The store was closed but a man, later identified as Altamirano, and a woman standing outside the store said they knew a spot that sold cigarettes at a cheap price.
Altamirano and the woman got into the victims’ car, at which point Altamirano allegedly pulled out a gun and ordered the victim to drive them to H Street, according to the sheriff’s department.
At H Street the woman with Altamirano got out of the car and rode off on a bike that was nearby. Altamirano allegedly told the man and woman to hand over their cell phones and ordered them out of the car, the sheriff’s department reported. Altamirano then drove away from the area.
The two victims reported the carjacking to the sheriff’s department and were able to provide deputies with a detailed description of the man, including his tattoos. The deputies searched a database of similar tattoos and the two victims were able to identify Altamirano as the suspect through a photo line-up.
Around 6 p.m. Saturday sheriff’s deputies were responding to an unrelated call on West F Street in Turlock when they noticed a vehicle that matched that of the one taken in the carjacking. A record search showed it was the stolen vehicle. Additionally, deputies learned Altamirano lived on that block.
Deputies arrested Altamirano at his residence without incident.
