MOTHER-of-two Casey Elwell is one of the latest victims of a string of terrifying car jackings across the region – her young children witnessing the shocking attack from the front door of their Solihull home.
The dramatic incident, which unfolded just after 10pm on Saturday, December 10, adds to four other distressing car jackings in Shirley, Yardley, Moseley, Billesley and Stirchley in the past fortnight.
The incident in Shirley, on December 6 saw a gang punch a 24-year-old woman in the face as they jacked her red Mercedes A Class – the same night a 25-year-old was dragged from his VW Golf in Stirchley.
On the same night, a gang punched a 24-year-old woman in the face in Pailton Road, Shirley as they made off with her red Mercedes A Class.
Four men attacked a granddad in Billesley on December 5 – stealing his Mercedes a Class, while a 45-year-old woman was targeted in Moseley on November 29 by a gang of three men who threatened to stab her.
The day after Casey’s attack a pregnant woman was pinned to the ground in the Yew Tree Car Park, Hob Moor Road, Yardley, and sprayed in the face with an unknown ‘noxious substance’ before the carjackers sped off in her VW Golf.
Casey’s husband Adam spoke to The Observer about the family’s terrifying ordeal at their Mayswood Road home.
“Casey had gone out to the car to charge her phone as the charger in the house was broken,” he said.
“All of a sudden I heard her screaming – she ran in to the house screaming that two men were attacking her and trying to steal the car.”
The attackers – both in their early 20s, one of mixed race and one white – opened the doors of the family’s Audi A3 and told her to get out. When she refused, they dragged her out by her hair, which is when she ran screaming into the house.
Adam raced out of the house to confront them – all the while making as much noise as possible to alert the neighbours.
He ended up in a tussle with one of the car jackers who fled – as did the other attacker who couldn’t get the car moving because of the unfamiliar handbrake button.
At this point a number of neighbours arrived on the scene to help scare them off.
Miraculously, nobody was seriously hurt in the terrifying ordeal – but the fear will live with the family for a long time to come – especially their two children aged just ten and six who had been woken by the noise and had to watch the attack from the front door when they came to see what was happening.
“You have to say we are very lucky that nobody was hurt and that they didn’t pull any weapons out on my wife or me when I confronted them,” Adam told The Observer.
“But the whole incident was terrifying – especially for our son and daughter who saw it all with their own eyes.
“They will be living in fear for a long time to come I’m sure – these people have no idea what kind of damage they cause to people – and I’m sure they don’t care either.”
Adam is now urging people – particularly women who seem to have been the focal point of the spate of attacks – to be extra vigilant.
“I’d urge people to have a good look around before you get in and out of your car and a quick check over your shoulder to make sure nobody is hanging around and planning to carjack you,” he said.
Anyone with information about any of the attacks can call police on 101, or the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.
