'Can't get boy's face out of my head': Witness retells Sydney carjacking
A terrifying pursuit and alleged carjacking involving a man and two children unfolded in Sydney's south-west on Saturday afternoon.
A Sydney witness recounted the harrowing moment he intervened in a daylight carjacking involving two young children. As police checked on a 36-year-old man in Lakemba, the suspect fled in a vehicle with the children. Pursuit ensued through Campsie, ending when the car crashed in Lidcombe. Bystanders, including Nicholas Karagiannis, rushed to the scene.
Karagiannis, driving by, heard bystanders cry out about the suspect's actions. He chased after the man, who was allegedly armed with a small black knife. Despite grabbing one of the children, the boy refused to leave. The suspect bundled the children into a black Kia Cerato and threatened the female driver with the knife, forcing her out of the vehicle.
The man then drove off with the children, causing police to call off the pursuit. The children, aged five to seven, sustained minor injuries and were discharged on Sunday from hospital. Inspector Mark Wakeham praised the public's bravery, noting that a bystander had unsuccessfully tried to stop the man by removing the ignition keys.
The man was charged with aggravated robbery with wounding, police pursuit, and reckless wounding in court via video link, with bail denied and the case adjourned until September 24.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
