A gutsy San Antonio man took a leap of survival on New Year's Eve, diving into his car to thwart an armed thief and narrowly escaping with his life. The confrontation ended with the suspect on the run and the car crashed into a fence. According to FOX San Antonio, the incident occurred on the 1631 block of Socorro Street, a residential area shadowed by Highways 281 and Loop 410.
The 21-year-old car owner, upon seeing a stranger in the driver's seat of his vehicle, acted instinctively by hurling himself through the passenger door's open window, police shared. The altercation escalated when the suspect, after crashing the vehicle into a fence, brandished a gun and pointed it at the man's head. In a desperate move, the victim managed to grasp a knife inside the vehicle and cut the assailant on the right side of his body, in a statement obtained by the FOX news outlet.
Following the scuffle, the would-be thief took off on foot, disappearing southbound into the city maze. San Antonio Police have yet to apprehend the suspect, who is now the focus of an ongoing city-wide manhunt. The police's account of the events further relayed that the car owner sustained minor injuries but is expected to recover fully.
Witness statements and police reports combine to paint a picture of a harrowing encounter that could have ended far worse for the San Antonio man. According to KSAT, the victim's quick reflex to push away the gun likely saved his life, though the mental toll of such an experience is harder to quantify. As the authorities continue their search, they urge anyone with information to come forward.
