A 19 year old woman has been charged in connection with a violent car-jacking and assault that occurred on October 28, 2019. A second suspect has not been located and Detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify him.
On October 28, 2019, at approximately 10:20 a.m., a thirty-one year old woman was violently car-jacked in the parking lot of a business located in the 47500 block of Seabridge Dr. The victim, who works as a food delivery driver, had just completed a delivery. As she was re-entering her vehicle, two suspects (a male and female) approached her. The female suspect, later identified as Naomi Melendez, a 19 year old transient, grabbed the victim and dragged her violently out of the vehicle. The suspects then began to batter the victim with large river-rocks, pulled her hair and slammed her face into the asphalt. Melendez then entered into the front passenger seat of the victim’s vehicle while the male suspect got into the driver's seat and they drove away.
When officers arrived, the victim had visible injuries and complained of pain to her head. Several witnesses on-viewed the attack and corroborated the above version of events when interviewed. Further, several surveillance cameras in the area captured the attack and showed the suspects walking around the area just prior to the incident (photos attached).
Fremont Police Detectives assumed the investigation into the car-jacking and placed a ‘wanted/stolen vehicle’ law enforcement hit on the victim's vehicle. This type of notification, placed in the Stolen Vehicle System (SVS), allows police to be notified should any ALPR camera capture it.
On November 3, 2019, at approximately 7:45 p.m., Daly City Police officers received an ALPR alert that the victim’s vehicle had entered their city. Daly City officers responded to the area and located the vehicle traveling near the intersection of Mission St. and Citrus Dr.. An enforcement stop on the vehicle was conducted and three people were contacted inside the vehicle, including Melendez who was driving at the time.
Fremont Police Detectives responded to Daly City and took custody of the victim vehicle. Evidence connecting Melendez to the car-jacking was located inside the vehicle. The other two occupants were interviewed and found to have no connection to our case. Melendez was arrested and booked into the Fremont Jail.
On November 5, 2019, the case was presented to the Alameda County District Attorney for review. Melendez was charged with felony car-jacking (PC 215) and felony possession of a stolen vehicle (VC 10851). Melendez has remained in custody and is set for arraignment at 2:00 p.m., today in department 712, of the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin, Ca.
Attached are surveillance photos of Melendez and the unidentified male suspect in the car-jacking. The photos were captured the suspects just prior to the crime. Fremont Police Detectives are asking for the public’s assistance to help identify the male suspect. The male was described as being Hispanic in his late teens or early 20's, with short hair and a stocky build. He was wearing a yellow t-shirt with a dark colored sweatshirt tied around his neck, dark pants, and white athletic shoes.
We'd like to thank the Daly City Police Department for their assistance with this case.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to please call the Fremont Police Department’s Investigative Unit at 510-790-6954 or send an anonymous tip by texting TIP FREMONTPD followed by your message to 888-777, or via the web at https://local.nixle.com/tip/alert/6216337.
