Man arrested after attempting to carjack 2 people, stealing mail truck, police say

HOUSTON – A man is in police custody after a postal worker's mail truck was carjacked Saturday afternoon in southwest Houston, police said.

The theft was reported at 3:09 p.m. in the 6100 block of Presido Drive.

Through GPS tracking, police were able to locate the truck in West Village Park.  

Houston Police said the suspect then backed into a patrol car and tried to jump out the window of the mail truck before police officers arrested him.

The suspect was allegedly behind two attempted carjackings that happened earlier in the day.

The first attempted took place in the 16000 block of South Post Oak Road. Police said the suspect tried to carjack a woman but was not successful.

Police said the suspect also approached a man in a truck at Blue Ridge Park.

Robert Dickerson said he was sitting in his truck when the suspect walked alongside his car. Dickerson rolled down the window, thinking he needed help.

“He pointed the pistol in my face,” Dickerson said. “It was probably 8 or 12 inches from my face.”

Dickerson said the carjacker while pointing a gun at him demanded that he hand over his truck

“When he put the gun there, I put my hands up to protect myself,” said Dickerson.

Dickerson said the man eventually got frustrated and walked off.

A neighborhood surveillance camera captured the alleged carjacker's next stop, near the corner of Presidio Drive and Vallejo, where he allegedly carjacked the mail carrier.  When the mail truck took off, police say the carjacker was behind the wheel.

“He ends up taking his truck and he was tracked here by the postal service,” Sgt. Ken Merritt said.

The suspect's gun turned out to be pellet gun.

He will most likely face several charges, including federal charges because the carjacking involved a federal employee and vehicle.

The arrest ended a day that had shaken up everyone involved.

“It wasn't that I didn't want to give up my truck,” Dickerson said. “I was just afraid.”

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