Victim carjacked in Jack in the Box drive thru

Turlock police arrested a man Tuesday night on suspicion of robbing and carjacking the driver of a BMW who was in a Jack in the Box drive thru.

Lt. Stephen Webb said the victim was in the drive thru at the Jack in the Box on Geer Road at about 10:30 p.m. when “the suspect approached the victim and said he was annoyed about the victim's loud music.”

The suspect then demanded money, which the victim gave him. He then told the victim to get out of the BMW and the victim complied.

Webb said at some point during the interaction the suspect pulled up his shirt as if to display a weapon but no weapon was actually seen.

When the suspect got into the victim’s BMW another vehicle had pulled behind him in the drive thru. He yelled at that driver to back up then he backed the BMW out of the drive thru and fled, Webb said.

Responding officers spotted the BMW as it left the scene and a short pursuit followed when the suspect refused to pull over.

Webb said officers briefly lost sight of the BMW, during which time the suspect abandoned it in a residential neighborhood about a half mile from the Jack in the Box in the area of Bates and Georgia ways.

Officers searched the area and found the suspect about 10 minutes later hiding behind a bush.

Rafael Rodriguez, 41, was arrested on suspicion of carjacking and robbery.

This story was originally published June 27, 2018 at 1:38 PM.