Carjacking victim recounts moment thief took off with son in car in downtown Fresno
A father is recounting the terrifying moments when a suspect took off in his car with his 3-year-old son in the backseat.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno father is speaking out about the traumatic ordeal of seeing his son being taken in a carjacking last month.
It all started at a downtown Fresno intersection on December 20th near Mariposa and Fulton streets.
The scary situation is now a learning lesson for Carson Medina.
"Don't make the terrible mistake that I made. Don't become too comfortable. I locked the car, I took the keys with me, thinking it was going to be 20 seconds," said Medina.
Medina's three-year-old son had just fallen asleep and it was cold outside, so his dad went inside for a short time to pick up dinner.
Even with the door locked, just a few minutes is all it took for someone to steal Medina's car with his son in it. New technology allowed the door to unlock as he got closer.
"It genuinely felt like a nightmare as I saw that man open the door," recalled Medina.
He says he tried to stop the suspect from taking off with his vehicle, but he never could've imagined what happened next.
"I was telling him my son is in that car. He put it in gear, turned the wheel, ran me over," said Medina.
"My head hit the pavement -- the back of my head -- and I felt the tires go over my legs."
Thankfully, after a short pursuit and 30 agonizing minutes, everything came to a safe and successful end after Fresno police and other law enforcement agencies jumped into action.
"I broke down. I was just thankful to God, thankful to everyone that helped bring my son to safety," said Medina.
Now that little Sunny, as his dad calls him, is back with his family, the road to recovery begins for Medina.
"I didn't feel any pain, the soul focus was on my son," said Medina.
"The knee is crushed. So, this is going to need some significant surgery that has to happen once all the swelling goes down. Now, they got me in a leg brace, and the brace over here for this ankle."
Medina, now cherishing every moment he gets with his son and children today.
"Its a gift to be here, its a gift to exist and that's my focus. To be here with my family, heal up and get home," said Medina.
Medina's friends have set up a GoFundMe to help with his recovery expenses.
The suspect in this case is 27-year-old Ventura Francisco Torres Romero.
He pled not guilty to five felony charges ranging from kidnapping to carjacking.
He is due back in court Thursday, and then again on January 27th for a pre-preliminary hearing.
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