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Gun-Wielding Suspect On The Run After Carjacking Family

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (CBS4) - A thief is on the run after carjacking two vehicles and attempting a third. Two parents and their young son were in one of the vehicles that was targeted.

Veronica Magallanes was working at the Dollar General off Highway 2 near East 74th Avenue on Wednesday evening in Commerce City when she witnessed a carjacking taking place.

"Never in my life have I seen this. Ever," she said.

Magallanes did her best to help a family of three -- a mother, father, and young boy – who were the first victims in the carjacking spree.

"Makes me mad, makes me even more mad that he didn't even care that it was a family with a little boy, he just didn't care," Magallanes said.

commerce city carjacking
(credit: CBS)

She said the suspect held a gun to the man's body before stealing the family's car. It happened in the parking lot. The family came to her, crying and frightened.

"They had just come out from shopping then I heard some commotion, it was like really fast," said Magallanes.

After leaving the Dollar General, Commerce City police said the man ditched the family's car in the intersection of Highway 2 and East 72nd Avenue, then tried to steal another vehicle at a 7-Eleven there.

The driver of a red pickup truck was able to stave off the suspect somehow, who moved on to a third car. They successfully carjacked a white Honda and sped off south on Quebec Parkway.

"I was just glad that they were OK, that the family was OK and nothing else happened," said Magallanes.

Fortunately no one was injured in the incident, and no shots were fired.

Anyone who spots the white 2014 Honda Civic, with license plate 113-WRT, is asked to call police.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story stated that there were two suspects when police later clarified that there was only one.

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