News story #4

A newly married woman was in the passenger seat of her husband's Nissan Altima, when a man tried to steal the car. The man was 21-year old, Alan Ticas-Soto. The bride was still in her wedding dress at the time of the attempted carjacking, while her husband was walking into a Taco Bell restaurant on East Fourth Avenue in San Mateo. The couple was headed to a nearby Embassy Suites.

The groom had left the engine running, while he headed toward the restaurant. Police said the groom hadn't even gotten inside the restaurant when Ticas-Soto ran through the parking lot and leaped in the idling car. However, police said he didn't get very far. First, he hard a hard time getting the car into reverse, and had to fiddle with the gear shift a bit before getting it into gear. The bride was screaming and trying to frantically unbuckle her seat belt to get away. The groom ran back and opened the passenger-side door, trying to help his wife out of the car. Finally, she tumbled out, landing on the parking lot. She was unhurt, though shaken.

The suspect put the car into a forward gear and promptly smashed into a Taco Bell sign, according to the police. Ticas-Soto leaped out of the car and began running southbound on South Delaware Street at Ninth Avenue. In the meantime, a witness called the police. Patrolling nearby, police officer Brendan Boyle, noticed the Ticas-Soto and called it in. Patrol cars converged on the scene, and caught the suspect, arresting him without incident.

Ticas-Soto is now facing felony carjacking charges and misdemeanor drug charges; apparently he was high on methamphetamines at the time of the carjacking and police say he told them that he'd been taking methamphetamines for three straight days. He is being held in San Mateo County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. Ticas-Soto does not have a criminal record. He pleaded not guilty in San Mateo Superior Court on Monday.