Carjacking Suspect Drags Elderly Woman From Car, Injures Officer

MARTINEZ, CA — Three people, including a police officer, were injured Friday when a woman committed a carjacking, the Martinez Police Department said.

Officers initially responded shortly before 6:45 a.m. Friday to a report of a disturbance on the platform at the Martinez Amtrak Station, 601 Marina Vista Drive.

A woman, later identified as 25-year-old Christina Starnes, caused a disturbance on the platform, Martinez police Sgt. Rodney Brinser said.

Starnes was not cooperative with officers, refused assistance, and was issued a refund by Amtrak, the sergeant said.

At 7:21 a.m., Martinez police officers were called back to the Amtrak Station on a report of a carjacking that had just taken place.

The victim was parked at the station and was arranging luggage in the back seat of her car when Starnes forcefully took possession of the car, running over the victim’s foot as she sped away, Brinser said.

An elderly woman was in the passenger seat and was forced out of the moving vehicle and dragged from the car until she was able to free herself, Brinser said.

Both the driver and passenger were taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment of injuries suffered in the carjacking, Brinser said.

Shortly before 9:15 a.m., Martinez police and Amtrak police investigators tracked Starnes in the stolen car to Walnut Creek, where she was taken into custody.

An officer with the Martinez Police Department suffered minor injuries during the apprehension and later received medical treatment.

Starnes was booked into the Martinez jail on a $315,000 bail and did not cooperate with investigators, Brinser said. Arrest charges included carjacking, aggravated elder abuse, possession of stolen property, aggravated resisting a police officer and resisting/delaying a police officer.

"The Martinez Police Department would like to thank the Amtrak Police Department and the Walnut Creek Police Department for their assistance in the timely apprehension of the suspect," Brinser said.

As of Monday, Starnes remained in custody with bail set at $240,000.

The Martinez Police Department asked anyone with information regarding the crime to contact Detective Dustin Mayberry via email at dmayberry@cityofmartinez.org or by phone at 925-372-3451.