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Man Arrested In Carjacking
0606 K-9 Vest 2
Riverbanks police dog Sam, shown here with handler, Deputy Marcie Matos, recently helped apprehend a carjacking suspect in the city. The K9 team has been outfitted with body armor including ballistic vests that they use on high risk calls. - photo by News File Photo

A 27-year-old Riverbank man was arrested earlier this month for carjacking a victim in the city.

A female victim pulled into a gas station around 2 a.m. in her vehicle to meet an acquaintance. Police said the male acquaintance then unexpectedly pulled her out of her vehicle by force and drove off with the vehicle. She contacted the police and some family members to make them aware of the situation. A family member spotted the woman’s car and made contact with the police department to provide that information. Authorities said luckily, there was an officer close by in the area so they were able to respond almost immediately to the scene.

Police said when the responding deputy pulled the suspect over, he began resisting arrest. It was then that Deputy Marcie Matos, also brought in to the case, released Sam the police dog and the K9 unit was successful in apprehending the suspect. The man was taken into custody and booked into the Stanislaus County Jail on suspicion of carjacking, possession of a stolen vehicle, resisting arrest, and theft of a vehicle.

The car was returned to the rightful owner.

Police said the suspect was released from custody on Tuesday, June 11.