Deputies: 'Sorry' carjacking suspect stole SUV to go see grandmother, crashed during chase

Carjacking suspect stole SUV to go see grandmother, deputies say

An Orange County carjacking suspect pointed a gun at a woman and demanded her car so he could go see his grandmother, deputies said.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A woman was carjacked at gunpoint by a masked man who claimed he needed the car to go see his grandmother, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. 

Deputies arrested Kenneth Shears, 18, Saturday night. Deputies said Shears has no record of ever having a driver’s license. 

The backstory:

The arrest report said Shears told the victim, "I am sorry to be doing this, but I need to see my grandmother."

Deputies said he led them on a short chase before crashing into a car parked on a front lawn. 

Shears faces several charges, including two felonies. He’s currently spending nights at the Orange County Jail.

The woman who was carjacked spoke exclusively with FOX 35 News. She did not want to be named out of fear. 

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She said she was on the phone in a parking lot on West Colonial Drive when the suspect approached her car with a gun pointed at her. 

She said she first thought it was a joke. The suspect demanded her car and nothing else, deputies said. He even allowed her to take her purse out of the car, deputies said.

The woman said she pleaded with the suspect for about five minutes and offered to give him a ride to where he wanted to go. 

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The suspect promised her he’d return the car, deputies said.

The woman’s car is likely totaled since she said an airbag deployed. The owner of the parked car that was crashed into said his car was totaled. 

What they're saying:

The victim said the suspect was frantic and only took her car.

"He looked like something was wrong," she said. "If he was robbing me, he could’ve taken all my jewelry. I had on jewelry. He could’ve taken my money. I had money on me and credit cards. He could’ve taken my bag. It had my laptop in it. He didn’t take anything."

The woman said she doesn’t think her insurance is going to cover all of the unexpected expenses, like a rental car. 

"At the end of the day the other person’s car is going to get fixed and mine is just sitting there and I’m just getting loss upon loss and have deal with the fact I had a gun pointed at me," she said.

What's next:

The next court date for Shears has not been set as of publication.