East Bay

Suspects Attack 87-Year-Old Woman During Carjacking in San Leandro: Police

Two people were arrested late Wednesday after police said the suspects attacked an elderly woman during a carjacking and later ransacked her home.

The 87-year-old Rosemarie, who did not want to provide her last name,  shared her story with NBC Bay Area.

"A young man pushed me down, grabbed my keys and took off with my car," she said.

The carjacking took place at 1:30 p.m. in front of a Dollar Tree store in the Westgate Mall in San Leandro.

"They took a bank my husband gave to me -- had all kind of antique coins and stuff in it," Rosemarie said.

Rosemarie, who was shaken up and badly bruised, quickly called police after the incident. While she was reporting the attack to authorities another call came in to police dispatch.

"The police were investigating the carjacking and getting information from the woman," San Leandro Police Lt. Robert McManus said. "Someone else from the neighborhood reported a burglary from her house."

Police believe the carjackers got her address from the registration in her car.

A neighbor, reporting a burglary in progress, wrote down the license of the getaway car. The license plate number helped police track down the suspects at another strip mall a few blocks away from the police department.

"Likely this could have been planned today," McManus said. "They went from one shopping center, went to her house, burglarized it and where they were caught cruising through another shopping center, quite possibly looking for another victim."

Police late Wednesday found Rosemarie's 2003 Kia Optima about 200 yards from where the crime took place.

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