A Fresno man, Deshawn Ricks, has entered a guilty plea to a federal carjacking charge after a harrowing incident in Fullerton last year where a motorist was forcibly removed from her SUV and then led authorities on a dangerous high-speed chase, the Justice Department announced.
Details released by the court show the events unfolded on June 14, 2023, when Ricks approached the victim, who was seated in her 2022 Mazda CX-5 with the engine off; he threatened her with a sharp metal object, forcibly dragged her out by her hair and body, and then made off with her vehicle—and as he fled he nearly hit her with the car; all after struggling to start the SUV which featured a "push to start" function, this sequence of events leading to the carjacking and the chaotic pursuit that ensued.
The encounter led to a full-throttle chase where Ricks disregarded traffic signals, ventured against the flow of traffic, and collided with a police car, before the pursuit concluded with Ricks crashing the stolen Mazda and attempting an escape on foot, before being apprehended by the responding officers who later recovered a 12-inch serrated stake near the vehicle's driver's seat.
With a sentencing hearing slated for April 11, 2025, presided over by U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, Ricks now confronts the possibility of up to 15 years in federal prison, the Justice Department's announcement clarified; meanwhile, the case reflects the concerted efforts of the OCVCTF—a cooperative task force consisting of agencies like the ATF, Santa Ana Police Department, Brea Police Department, and Fullerton Police Department.
The Assistant United States Attorneys Jena A. MacCabe and Chelsea Norell, from the Violent and Organized Crime Section, bear the responsibility for prosecuting this distressing affair, which underscores the perilous realities of urban crime and the oft-overlooked violence that can occur even in the broad daylight of suburban spaces.
