A teenager who was carjacked at gunpoint told a San Diego judge that he thought he was going to die the night he was forced to hand over the keys to his mother’s car.
The 17-year-old testified Thursday in a preliminary hearing for two men accused in a violent crime spree the night of Sept. 3.
Adrian Osuna Avena, 25, and Juan Pablo Perez, 34 are charged with carjacking along with multiple crimes in connection with a robbery and sexual assault at a Bay Terraces auto parts store.
In a preliminary hearing Thursday, the teen testified he feared for his life when a man called him “Amigo,” waved a gun and demanded the keys to his mother’s Saturn.
“I was kinda lost because I didn’t believe it at first,” the victim said. “I only seen it happen in movies."
"When he whipped out his gun I was like ‘Oh man, he’s serious.’”
Prosecutors allege Avena and Perez attacked two employees of the Auto Zone store in the 6900 block of Paradise Valley Road before they carjacked the teen.
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One of the employees was beaten in the head, while the other was sexually assaulted police said.
While en route to the robbery call, San Diego police officer Eduardo Lopez testified he and his partner heard a call for a carjacking nearby. They spotted the suspect vehicle, a 4-door Saturn Ion with two men inside.
After a short chase, the car's tires were punctured by a spike strip. One suspect was taken immediately into custody. The other suspect fled on foot and was quickly apprehended by a San Diego Police K-9.
Officer David Hwang testified that he saw a semi-automatic pistol on the passenger floorboard inside the Saturn. He also said he spotted a bunch of rolled coins. A records check revealed the gun was stolen in 2008 Hwang said.
Avena is accused in the sexual assault. Perez is accused of pistol whipping the auto parts store employee.
After the preliminary hearing, Judge Fred Link will decide if there is enough evidence to continue the case to trial.
