Teen winds up in ambulance after trying to carjack DC grandma on her way to chemo: Police

WASHINGTON (WJLA) — “Next thing I know, he walked up talking about, 'give me your keys, I got a gun.' I said, 'baby, you better shoot me, because you’re not taking my car.'”

She declined to go on camera, but she's known in her 22nd Street Southeast neighborhood as "Grandma." She was on her way to chemotherapy Friday when a 15-year-old boy tried to carjack her, MPD said.

MPD stats show 82 carjackings so far this year, 63% involving guns and just 14 arrests. Juvenile carjacking was a big part of a virtual council hearing held Wednesday. Attorney General Brian Schwalb spoke, as did the new Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, Lindsey Appiah, who seemed to criticize juvenile prosecutors and courts for fewer commitments to incarceration for crimes.

“[We've seen] increases in categories like carjacking and otherwise, but we have not seen a corresponding increase in commitment.”

"Is it finger pointing to say you all should have committed more juveniles who are breaking the law?" councilmember Zachary Parker asked during the meeting.

"He pushed me to the door and I got up and I grabbed him and was hitting his ass, and hitting him and fighting him and I said, 'you not going to take my car, youngin.''"

Grandma said when she called for help, neighbors responded.

"They all came out to help me," she said.

He ran across the street and that’s when they caught him.

"They caught him and I said, 'oh, you going to jail today. You definitely going to jail, yes you are," she said.

Grandma showed WJLA her scar from the teen snatching her keys. The police report said the would-be carjacker left the scene in an ambulance, and Grandma said the teen is now in lockup.

"And they said it’s a wonder he wasn’t dead," she said. "On 22nd Street? He must didn’t know where he was. Nobody has seen this boy before."