A shopper at an East County mall jumped out of a moving car Wednesday to escape after she was carjacked in the shopping center's parking lot.
The incident began when the 20-year-old La Mesa victim parked at Grossmont Center near the Wal-Mart on Monday at about 5:30 p.m. A white woman in her mid-30s wearing a pink Chargers hat tapped on her window. As soon as the victim rolled down her window, the robber indicated she was armed with a gun and wanted the driver to move to the passenger seat.
The victim complied and the carjacker got into the car and drove east on Interstate 8, where she demanded the car owner's cell phone and purse while threatening to shoot her if she did not turn over the items.
The victim jumped out of the car after the car left the freeway in El Cajon, police said, and flagged down a passerby for help.
The suspect is about 5 feet 5 inches tall and has a heavy build and blond hair. She was also wearing a gray sweatshirt and knit gloves. The car is a white 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer with California plate number 4WJS485.
Anybody who has seen the vehicle or the suspect is being urged to contact police. A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered by Crime Stoppers for information leading to an arrest.
