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Mom considers herself, children "lucky" after vehicle high jacking

Page Last Updated: Tuesday November 17, 2009 3:12pm PST

Maria Velasquez.
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The smiles on the faces of six-year-old Nayeli Velasquez and her five-year-old brother Brandon couldn't be much bigger, especially considering what they went through last Saturday night.

"This bad guy came in our car," said Nayeli. And her brother described their ordeal as "scary."

Scary because while their mother Maria was locking the doors to the store that she works at on Clear Acre Lane Saturday evening--with her car running--and children inside the car, a man appeared "out of nowhere," got in the driver's seat and started driving away.

"My boyfriend started running after the car, he was able to get in the passenger side and me and my sister in law kept running," Maria Velasquez said.

Their natural parental instincts kicked in, and they chased down the stolen car that had Nayeli and Brandon inside.

Maria's boyfriend was able to get inside the car as it drove away, and he was there when the car crashed into a wall. The suspect ran away, and Nayeli was injured.

"Her nose, her face, it was full of blood, I couldn't stop shaking, my sister in law was crying, we couldn't talk," Maria said. The six-year-old said she was scared at the time.

"They don't know how lucky they are, I'm so lucky I have them back," Maria said.

Maria is surely not the first mother to leave her children in a running car for just a moment, but she says never again, a sentiment echoed by Reno police, as they investigate this crime.

Velasquez says she was not able to get a great look at the suspect, but he is described as a light-skinned black man with a short beard. He was wearing a grey flannel shirt with a black hood.
Secret Witness is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. If you can help call 322-4900.

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