Criminal charges were filed Tuesday against a man accused of going on a carjacking spree that began in Santa Ana and ended in Orange, where he allegedly stole an SUV containing a developmentally disabled woman who was hurt while trying to get away from the suspect.
Esteban Sandoval Jr., 37, faces four counts of carjacking and one count of kidnapping, with sentencing enhancement allegations for a prior conviction for attempted robbery at an ATM last July, in which he was sentenced to a year in jail, according to court records.
Sandoval’s alleged crime spree last Saturday began with a 9:20 a.m. carjacking in Santa Ana. The vehicle was found abandoned in Orange about 10 minutes later, said Sgt. Phil McMullin of the Orange Police Department, “so our officers were sitting on it thinking the suspect might come back.”
At 10:20 a.m., police got a report of an assault during an apparent carjacking at a gas station at 1245 W. Chapman Ave. in Orange, McMullin said.
At 10:47 a.m., officers were flagged down at 2305 W. Chapman Ave. regarding another carjacking of a Nissan Titan, he said.
At noon, at Collins Avenue and Tustin Street, a man was seen running toward a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado and a responding officer realized the driver matched the description of the suspect in the carjackings, McMullin said.
The victim’s developmentally disabled adult daughter, who was in the Silverado as the thief was driving away, pushed the passenger door open and tumbled out, according to McMullin, who said she was not seriously injured.
The officer pulled the suspect over in the stolen vehicle and took him into custody, McMullin said.