A 37-year-old Ceres man was arrested Tuesday afternoon on suspicion that he carjacked his mother’s car.
Ceres Police spokesman Sgt. Greg Yotsuya said that the 63-year-old victim reported driving up to her house in the 2400 block of Boothe Road before 12:53 p.m. and seeing son Ryan Alawar standing outside. Alawar lives with his mom and told her victim that the residence had been burglarized as a ruse to get her phone by pretending to want to call police. She handed over the phone and as she approached the front door of her house he attempted to grab the keys out of her hand. She told her son to stop and the two wrestled over the keys. Alawar pried the keys out of her hand and took off in her vehicle.
Officer Jon Vera made a call to the victim’s cell phone still in Alawar’s possession. He answered and the officer convinced Alawar to drive to the police department to discuss what happened. He agreed but a short time later, Officer Vera watched Alawar pass by police headquarters and continue driving northbound on Third Street. He notified Officer Eric Souza who stopped Alawar on Whitmore Avenue near Sixth Street.
Alawar ignored the Souza’s commands to exit the vehicle and only turned up the stereo and hurled insults. Alawar finally got out of the vehicle when other officers arrived.
He faces possible charges of carjacking and grand theft auto.