News Story #4

The Carjacker

Gabriel Gabriel
San Mateo County Times

San Mateo -- Alan Ticas-Soto, 21, tried to steal a car Saturday night with a newly married woman still in the passenger seat. Sheryl Wolcott, a San Mateo County deputy district attorney described some of the details of the alleged crime. She said the newlyweds, whose names were not released, were planning to spend their wedding night at a nearby Embassy Suites.

They were not injured in the incident. However, according to Wolcott, "This took them a little off-track."

They had stopped off for a late night snack at the Taco Bell on East Fourth Avenue in San Mateo on their way to the hotel. The bride was still in her wedding dress, and the groom was still in his tuxedo. Wolcott said the newlyweds had stopped off for a late night snack at the Taco Bell on East Fourth Avenue in San Mateo on their way to the hotel.

The bride was still in her wedding dress, and the groom was still in his tuxedo.

The groom got out of the car, a 2003 Nissan Altima, and left the engine running. His new wife stayed in the car while he headed toward the restaurant.

Police said the groom hadn't even gotten inside the restaurant when Ticas-Soto ran through the parking lot and leaped in the idling car. However, police said he didn't get very far.

First, he hard a hard time getting the car into reverse, and had to fiddle with the gear shift a bit before getting it into gear.

Ticas-Soto was almost certainly distracted by the screams of the 22-year-old bride in the passenger seat. She was frantically trying to unbuckle her seat belt and get away from him.

When he saw what was happening, the groom ran back and opened the passenger-side door, trying to help his wife get out of the car. She finally tumbled out, landing on the parking lot. She was unhurt, though shaken.

The suspect put the car into a forward gear and promptly smashed into a Taco Bell sign, according to the police. He leaped out of the car and ran away. In the meantime, witnesses called the police.

Patrolling nearby, police officer Brendan Boyle noticed a man matching the suspect's description. The man was running southbound on South Delaware Street at Ninth Avenue. Boyle called it in and patrol cars converged on the scene. They caught Ticas-Soto and arrested him without incident. Police say he told them that he'd been taking methamphetamines for three straight days.

Ticas-Soto is now facing felony carjacking charges and misdemeanor drug charges. He is being held in San Mateo County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. Ticas-Soto does not have a criminal record. He pleaded not guilty in San Mateo Superior Court on Monday.

No attorney has yet been assigned to Ticas-Soto's case by the county private defender program. If Ticas-Soto is found guilty, he could face up to nine years in state prison for the carjacking.