A Houston dog walker says he spent a two mile ride trapped beside an armed carjacker, secretly staying on the phone with 911 as his own stolen car sped toward Washington Avenue. He said he kept hold of his phone and used the suspect's repeated requests for directions to quietly slip dispatchers a running stream of location updates while the man drove. By the time it was over, police had arrested an 18-year-old suspect and the victim's car had been declared totaled.
The victim, James Cichon, told ABC13 that it all started in the Rice Military neighborhood, where a man knocked on his window and, at gunpoint, ordered him to slide over. Investigators identified the alleged carjacker as 18-year-old DeShawn Johnson and said the stolen vehicle, a 2006 gold Lincoln Zephyr according to Cichon, hit speeds of roughly 50 to 60 miles per hour during parts of the chase. Dispatchers stayed on the call as officers tracked the car until it crashed along Washington Avenue and Johnson was taken into custody.
How the Dog Walker Helped Seal the Arrest
Cichon told the station he quietly turned his phone volume all the way down, then played the part of helpful navigator, giving the suspect turn-by-turn directions and even suggesting a stop at a Circle K, all while a dispatcher listened in and guided officers on the ground. "He made a lot of mistakes. I outwitted the man," Cichon said in his interview with ABC13. Authorities say his composure, paired with the dispatcher's coordination, was crucial in tracking and stopping the car.
Another Case in a Summer of Houston Carjackings
Investigators say this is just one of several violent carjackings in the Houston area this summer, including a July 6 case in which deputies recovered three children after an alleged carjacking, as reported by The Houston Chronicle. Similar incidents and arrests have been logged across the region, some involving reported gunfire, as covered in Gunfire Erupts Near Sam Houston Parkway.
Cichon said he walked away physically unharmed and is grateful to the dispatchers who refused to hang up. Investigators say the case remains open and the suspect faces charges that include aggravated kidnapping and robbery.
