A 37-year-old Ceres man was arrested in Modesto last week and charged with robbery, carjacking, vehicle theft, attempted carjacking and inflicting injury on a person while committing a felony.

According to Modesto Police, on Monday, Jan. 3 Leonard Rosas jumped into the driver’s seat of a car as its owner, a 32-year-old woman, was unloading items at the east Modesto Amtrak station. Rosas drove off with the woman sustaining injuries when she fell forward as he the sped away.

Modesto Police processed the car for clues after a citizen reported it sitting suspiciously in the 2300 block of Lincoln Oak Drive.

Later at 1:30 p.m. police were notified that a man tried to carjack a vehicle from a 67-year-old woman at the recently opened Dunkin’ Donuts on Oakdale Road. Rosas allegedly ordered for her to hand over the keys, and tried to snatch her purse before she fled into the shop. Rosas jumped into the vehicle but found no way to start it, said Modesto Police spokeswoman Sharon Bear. A private citizen who watched the failed carjacking followed Rosas as he provided police dispatchers with his movements. Police rushed to the scene where Rosas was being held at gunpoint by an Ontel Security guard. 

Rosas is being held at the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on approximately $750,000 bail.