Carjacking Suspect Sought By Police In Banning

BANNING, CA — Authorities over the weekend were searching for a suspect who carjacked a woman at a Banning gas station and hit her with her vehicle as he fled, officials said.

The woman had stopped to put gas in her car around 12:45 a.m. on Tuesday in the 800 block of East Ramsey Street, the Banning Police Department said in a release.

The woman left her car unlocked and running as she entered the gas station. While she was inside, she witnessed a man get into her vehicle. She ran outside and attempted to stop the suspect from leaving, but the man had locked the doors. While attempting to open the door, the suspect drove out of the parking lot, knocking her to the ground and then striking her with the car, police said.

The woman sustained minor injuries and her vehicle was later located and returned to her. The suspect was still at large, officials said. Security footage showed a white male suspect wearing head-to-toe camouflage — a tank top, long shorts and a baseball cap.

The Banning Police Department is asking for the public's help to find the suspect. Anyone with information about this incident may call the station's detective bureau at 951-922-3170.