JANESVILLE — Police say a Janesville man attempted to car-jack two people Friday morning, but was unsuccessful.
A 25-year-old Janesville man was arrested later Friday afternoon and booked into the Rock County jail awaiting formal charges on the incidents.
Officers from the Janesville Police Department were called Friday morning to Wal-Mart for a report of a man who witnesses said was “trying to car-jack people.”
Several officers responded and eventually located a 73-year-old victim nearby at the TA Express.
Meanwhile, investigators learned the suspect first stopped a red Cadillac about 9:50 a.m. Friday and tried to open the car door.
The suspect was unsuccessful in opening that car door and the vehicle left the area. The suspect then went to the west side of Wal-Mart and stopped a second car at 9:53 a.m. and “tried to violently pull the driver from the car.”
But the 73-year-old victim was wearing his seatbelt and the suspect was unable to get him out of the driver’s seat, according to a Janesville Police news release.
The suspect’s shoe was left behind in the car as the victim drove away to call officers to the TA Express.
Police recognized the suspect in surveillance video from a previous contact, and about 1:15 p.m. a tipster provided information regarding the whereabouts of the suspect.
Officers from the Janesville Police Department located the suspect at the Super 8 Motel and took him in to custody just a short time later.
This type of crime is not a common occurrence in Janesville, police say. The suspect is currently being held at the Rock County Jail for charges related to the incident.