TACOMA, Wash. — A carjacking in the South Sound on Monday ended with a police chase and a car in flames.
The woman who found herself in a terrifying situation when a man threatened her with a gun spoke exclusively to KIRO 7′s Bridget Chavez about how a Christmas gift ultimately led police right to the stolen car.
“There was a man who popped out and was pointing a gun at me and asked for everything and I said, ‘Take it,’” the victim, Jackie R. said.
Deputies say that man was Randy Tipa.
Jackie said along with her car, Tipa took her phone, keys, wallet and purse.
“He said, ‘Stay right here, don’t move,’ and I waited until he was out of my sight, and I thought I heard my car start, and I just bolted through the park and got out of there,” said Jackie.
She flagged someone down and called 911.
Jackie said she and a deputy found her phone not far from the park and were able to track her car because she had air tags on her keys and wallet.
“I have a loved one who knows me very well and he bought me all those for Christmas because I lose things often,” she said.
They tracked her car to the Commons in Federal Way. Jackie said she was hopeful it would end there.
“I thought I was going to drive home with my car,” she said.
But the man behind the wheel had other plans.
“They rushed up to the vehicle to try and stop it, they spike stripped one of the rear tires and tried to pin him in, but that suspect ended up kind of wiggling his way out and took off,” said Pierce County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Darren Moss.
Moss said deputies chased Tipa onto southbound Interstate 5 and performed a PIT maneuver to get him to stop.
“Our deputies were able to get alongside of the vehicle and give it a little nice, easy push to get it to spin out,” said Moss.
Dramatic body camera video shows the moments deputies tackled the suspect as their cars and Jackie’s went up in flames.
“As soon as they turned around, they realized their vehicles were on fire,” said Moss.
And there was a woman still sitting in the passenger side of the car.
“She was coughing, unable to breathe, and if it had taken any longer it could have been much worse,” said Moss.
The woman had smoke inhalation and was taken to the hospital.
Tipa was also taken to the hospital and now faces charges of robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm, identity theft, and attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle.
As for Jackie’s car, it’s a total loss.
She set up a GoFundMe to help pay for a new car and replace everything that was inside.
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