Marin Arson, Carjack Case Probed

SAUSALITO, CA — A carjacking suspect set fire to a vehicle before a carjacking incident Sunday morning, Sausalito police said.

Officers received calls at around 8:30 a.m. reporting a woman heard screaming for help and a vehicle ablaze in the 100 block of Rodeo Avenue, police said.

The woman told officers arriving on the scene that as she was trying to enter her Mercedes-Benz vehicle, a man pulled her from the vehicle and drove off after a brief struggle, police said.

Officers believe the suspect set fire to a vehicle parked in an adjacent carport before the carjacking incident, police said.

Southern Marin firefighters extinguished the blaze before the vehicle became fully engulfed or damaged the carport, police said.

Mercedes-Benz helped authorities track the vehicle in San Francisco where the suspect apparently ditched it, police said.

Officers returned the undamaged vehicle to its owner after processing it for evidence, police said.

Police said they have identified a person of interest in the case but did not release their name.

“Sausalito Police believe this is a random incident and that there is no immediate threat to the community,” police said in a statement.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Sausalito Police Department at (415)289-4170.