Dallas

Man Who Carjacked Woman, Ran Into Dallas Home Identified by Police

Man facing robbery, assault charges recovering in a North Texas hospital

What to Know

  • An armed man ran on foot from police into a wooded area in North Dallas late Wednesday afternoon.
  • Texas Sky Ranger captured the man emerging from woods and carjacking a person in an apartment complex parking lot.
  • Police took the man into custody after he ran into the garage of a home in the 12200 block of Jackson Creek Drive.

Dallas police identified the man they say led them on wild chase Wednesday, carjacking a pregnant woman at gunpoint and running into a home with people inside.

Austin Reed, 26, is in the hospital after being shot by police. Reed, who is expected to survive, faces several robbery and assault charges.

The homeowner who was startled when Reed ran inside his unlocked door said he immediately went into survival mode.

"It was quite an emotional, surreal day," said Ron Hernandez.

It began innocently enough in the North Dallas neighborhood.

Hernandez had just gotten off of work and was discussing dinner plans with his roommate in their living room.

"Then all of the sudden we hear somebody running down the hallway," he said. "[My roommate] and I look at each other like 'what in the world was that?' As I look up somebody's yelling 'give me your f'ing keys, give me your f'ing keys!' I’m like: Who in the hell are you?"

Hernandez had no idea the shirtless, bloodied intruder had just led Dallas police officer on a chase after allegedly holding one woman against her will at a motel and carjacking another woman at gunpoint at a nearby apartment complex.

Police said Reed fired a gun and was wearing body armor. He is even seen pointing a gun toward NBC 5’s Texas Sky Ranger.

"He comes to confront me and assault me and when he realizes how big I am he kind of stops, takes out a knife and then charges at me," said Hernandez.

The ex-military man who grew up boxing managed to fight Reed off and ran toward his bedroom for his gun.

"He was kicking [the door] and hitting it, trying to bust the door so he could get to us. I opened the door and put the gun to his face and he took off running down the hallway," he said.

Outside, officers swarmed the home on Jackson Creed Drive and shot the man after he allegedly refused their commands to drop the knife.

"If Dallas police didn't tell me to drop my weapon I would've pulled the trigger," said Hernandez. "I would've pulled the trigger to save my own life and my friend's because that was pretty scary."

It's the look on the stranger's face Hernandez won't soon forget.

"Fear," he described. And nothing to lose, said Hernandez.

The pregnant woman told NBC 5 off camera that she is too emotionally drained to speak about the carjacking but said she is OK.

 

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