Tucson mayor carjacked

The suspect reportedly threatened another resident with a gun

Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild experienced firsthand the crime problem in the Arizona city. On Saturday, Mayor Rothschild was reportedly getting into his city-owned Prius in front of his own home when he was approached by a man with a gun, demanding his keys.

According to Fox News, Tucson police said on Facebook that as the thief fled, he reportedly pointed a gun at a mail carrier who was in his way.

Police reportedly recovered the Prius about 2 ½ hours later. While Mayor Rothschild was not hurt in the incident, he did not respond to a request for comment Sunday.

Tuscon Police don’t believe the mayor was specifically targeted. They say the thief had tried to steal a parked car at another address, but ran off when caught in the act by the owner. It was after this attempt that he moved on to victimize Rothschild.

USA Today reports that this bold move took place in broad daylight at about 11 a.m. Police are still investigating the case and are in search of the carjacker.

Historic Tucson has earned the title of one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S., in part due to its proximity to the Mexican border. The State of Arizona and the FBI report that the town sees much higher instances of crime that the national average, with more than twice the number of  rapes, double the robberies and assaults, and nearly triple the number of thefts. Of these bleak numbers, US Attorney Bill Montgomery, notes that Arizona, as a whole “experiences disproportionate criminal impacts related to illegal immigration, human smuggling and drug trafficking.”

 

Photo: Office of the Mayor, City of Tucson, Arizona