Three alleged suspects in Detroit gas station carjacking arrested

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Detroit police have busted three suspects in a carjacking caught on camera that happened at a gas station.

What they're saying:

It happened in broad daylight when two masked men walked up to a victim and implied they had a gun in their pocket. Meanwhile, Commander Anthony O’Rourke with Detroit Police says they believe the item was a stolen screwdriver that was in the jacket.

Officials say the suspects demanded the driver’s keys, which he handed over with no problem, along with the $20 he had on him.

He was then told to remove the fuel nozzle from his car before they jacked his ride.

It all played out last week at a Citgo gas station off 7 Mile near Evergreen on Detroit’s west side.

O’Rourke has been around a minute and remembers those days, but not anymore. When a carjacking like this happens, teams of specialized investigators with the organized crime unit are activated.

"Two, three, four in the morning, we don’t care what time it happens, we don’t care what the circumstances are, we have to get out there," O’Rourke said. "The time from the crime to the time they had them in custody was approximately 4 hours."

Dig deeper:

The duo became a trio at some point along the joyride when they were found and all arrested.

18-year-old Frederick Crayton and 19-year-old Lonnie Roper were charged with carjacking, and their buddy, 18-year-old Shamyra Johnson, for receiving that stolen car.

This was the first of the year to happen at a gas station. The commander said carjackings mostly happen in people’s own driveways.

"Even in your own home, be alert, make sure you’re taking a look at what’s happening around you," he said.

By the numbers:

Carjacking is down 32% in the city, and their closure rate, or how many arrests are made in this case, is about half of what Detroit police investigate.