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Family of Mesquite carjacking victim hopes suspects are caught soon
The family of a man shot multiple times during a Mesquite carjacking says it's time his attackers are caught.
MESQUITE, Texas - The family of a man shot multiple times during a Mesquite carjacking says it's time his attackers are caught.
The shooting happened a week and a half ago. The father of three has been in the hospital ever since.
The mother of the victim’s young girls says it's been especially hard on them to see their father in so much pain. And to add to the frustration, the people who did it are still free. Meanwhile, he’s spending the holidays beginning a long road to recovery.
Desiree Thompson is giving voice to his ex-boyfriend, 31-year-old Will Smith. He’s been hospitalized since November 16. His body was riddled with bullets when he was robbed of his truck and sense of security.
“He's afraid, and I can’t say I blame him,” Thompson said. “Because anyone shoots you that many times, they had an intent to kill is how I feel about it.”
Mesquite police say Smith's 2008 Chevy Silverado is what the suspect’s — possibly in their teens or early twenties — were after as they walked the neighborhood near Cedarcrest and Springcrest drives.
Thompson says Smith was low on gas and called a nearby relative to borrow a few bucks, afraid his truck wouldn't restart if he turned it off.
“He was like, ‘I'm just going to run in and grab the money and come right back out.’ He literally ran in grabbed the money and came right back out,” Thompson said.
That's all it took for someone to jump in and take off with Smith’s truck.
“He’s like, ‘Hey!’ And then he runs and jumps on the back,” Thompson said. “And he calls 911 and he's like, ‘Somebody is stealing my truck!’”
Thompson says it appears two other men came from another direction to help the thief get rid of Smith from the back of the truck.
“It's like he tries to jump off the back and run. And when he's jumping, mid-air the guy is shooting him and he just falls like right there,” Thompson said.
“I firmly believe we all have our day,” Mesquite Police Sgt. Mark Bradford. “Fortunately for him, it wasn't his day.”
Police say they still want to talk to anyone who may have seen the men walking the neighborhood around 7:45 p.m. that Saturday.
But until they get their break in the case, Sgt. Bradford has some advice for everyone.
“The lesson is even if you are just going to be inside for a second, you can't leave your car running,” he warned. “You can't leave your belongings outside because there are always people out looking for a crime of opportunity.”
“If you know something, say something,” Thompson pleaded. “Because even though it may not be you right now, it could be you later.”
Police say the suspects are described as African American. One of the suspects had dreadlocks. Several of them were walking the neighborhood in socks and flip flops, so it's likely they're from there or visit frequently.
Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.