Westshore carjacker attacks man in broad daylight

TAMPA, Fla. - Police are searching for the robber who forced a man to empty out his bank account, then stole his car.

Michael Goldman said he was cleaning his car in the parking lot of his condminium complex Thursday morning when a Buick LaCrosse slowly pulled up behind him. A man got out, Goldman said, and "walked up to the back of the car and opened the back door and told me to 'get your keys and get in the car, we're leaving'."

Goldman said the carjacker tried to persuade him with the steel in his hands. "When he got out of the car, he was hiding the gun under his hands, and I took off. I wasn’t gonna hang around. I thought 'Shoot me now. I'm not getting in the car with you'."

Goldman was the first in a spree of attempted carjackings. According to Hillsborough County Deputies, the two men in the Buick headed to the corner of Davis and McRae, tried the same thing, and got the same result.

The third time was the charm near the corner of Gandy Blvd. and Westshore Blvd. in Tampa. Deputies said the carjackers drove a victim to a bank, forced him to withdraw cash, and left him stranded.

The car was later dumped at the intersection of South Church Avenue and West Inman Avenue.

Someone in a 2004-2008 silver Buick LaCrosse with tinted windows and 22-24inch chrome rims followed them the entire time.

Michael Goldman said his fate would have been in the hands of two dangerous men, had he gotten in the car. "He looked like he wanted to hurt me," he said. "He looked like he wanted to kick my a**."

"I was not about to comply," said Michael.

“When you get this brazen, unfortunately, a lot of times people get hurt so we'd like to catch em’ as soon as possible,” said Deputy Larry McKinnon.

Anyone who recognizes the suspect's vehicle or knows anything about this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477).