North Texas man who shot at robbers trying to steal Maserati: 'When you have to defend yourself, you do it'

DALLAS - For the first time, FOX 4 is hearing from a man who fired at carjacking suspects in the middle of a popular Dallas shopping center.

Two of three men charged in the 2022 attempted carjacking and shootout have been convicted and sentenced.

The violent incident highlights what had been a growing problem with stolen vehicles in the city of Dallas.

The number of vehicle thefts in Dallas is going down, but that’s only after a year of staggering numbers with more than 18,000 reported thefts. 

In 2022, Jack Hobbs and his friends were leaving Odelay Tex-Mex off Lovers Lane near University Park when a group of armed and masked men tried to carjack his friend’s Maserati. 

"PTSD is a real thing, and you don’t want to shoot anybody," Hobbs said. "But you know when you have to defend yourself and a friend, you’ll do it."

Hobbs’ friend saw the group’s gun and threw his keys to prevent the carjacking. 

One of the masked men, Lequezio Dade, fired a shot, but Hobbs fired back.

"Pulled out my trusty pistol," he said.

Hobbs shot three times. One of the bullets hit Dade.

"That’s when the barrage really started," he recalled. "Eighteen bullets came our way. It destroyed three cars, maybe four cars."

Families inside the restaurant were ducking for cover, but no one else was hit.

"And it could’ve been a lot worse," Hobbs said.

Carjackings and auto thefts are ongoing issues. 

In 2023, there were 18,769 auto thefts in Dallas. That’s more than 50 stolen vehicles each day. It’s also a 40% increase from 2022, according to Dallas police data.

"It’s vehicles that are being stolen for parts. It’s vehicles that are then sold. It’s vehicles that some we’ve seen in terms of teens joyriding," explained Kristin Lowman with DPD.

We’ve seen stolen vehicles used in recent violent crimes.

A stolen truck out of Frisco slammed into a Dallas police cruiser during a bust in July. One of the occupants had capital murder warrants.

Earlier that month, a group of five teens in a stolen car allegedly, and randomly, robbed and killed a teenager in Victory Park near the American Airlines Center.

"It’s high nationwide. It’s something that major cities are seeing across the board," Lowman said.

However, Dallas police say auto thefts are down 14% so far this year, with the number continuing to trend downward.

Auto thefts are not going away. But Hobbs is satisfied that Dade is going away, sentenced in July to 25 years in prison. 

"I hope he learns something while he’s in," he said.

Hobbs is grateful for police and prosecutors. 

After Hobbs shot Dade in his leg, Dade’s friends dropped him off at a hospital. Investigators identified their cell phones pinging at both the shooting scene and hospital at times consistent with the investigation.

"It was really gratifying to see how they put it all together and came up with the verdict," Hobbs said.

As for Dade’s two accomplices, Kylan Owens’ case is still pending. But Anthony Primers pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and was sentenced on August 7 to 12 years in prison.

Hobbs hopes his close call is a reminder for vehicle owners and criminals who might want to think twice.

"Especially in Texas," he said. "You don’t know who’s carrying a gun, so you better be careful."

Last year, Dallas police cleared 5% of stolen vehicle cases. This year, that number is slightly up to 6%.