DOCUMENT: Florida, Crime

No, Not Every Carjacker Is A Heartless Thief

Victim says perp gave her a box cutter for protection

Box Cutter

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Pink Box Cutter

NOVEMBER 6--After stealing a woman’s automobile at gunpoint early today, a pair of Florida carjackers reportedly gave the victim a parting gift--a pink box cutter that could be used for protection on the darkened Orlando street, according to a police report.

Jessica Epper, 19, told cops that she got lost while driving her 2007 Honda Civic, so she stopped the car around 3:40 AM to program her home address into the vehicle’s GPS system. While doing this, a black man and a white woman approached the auto and began speaking with Epper, who is pictured at right.

According to an Orlando Police Department report, Epper said that the man later pulled out a “large black handgun,” pointed the weapon at her, and directed her to get out of the Honda. The man’s accomplice, Epper added, then yanked her out of the car by her hair.

Before driving off with her ride, Epper said, the male suspect “threw a small pink box cutter” toward her and shouted, “Here, take care of yourself.”

“Epper ran from house to house knocking on the doors until one homeowner answered and let her call 911 on a phone,” police noted. The pink box cutter was subsequently given to a crime scene technician for processing.

In a statement, police said that detectives are investigating the incident, noting that “there are some possible inconsistencies in the victim’s statements with evidence being uncovered.” While declining to detail those “possible inconsistencies,” investigators said that, “It is believed that the victim’s car was stolen, however the details of those circumstances are being reviewed.” (1 page)