Police told WSOC an 83-year-old woman from Lenoir, N.C. had just finished grocery shopping when she was carjacked.
The man came up behind Helen Embler in the store parking lot.
Embler said the man reached for a gun and tried to force her to get in the vehicle, but she refused.
Instead, she ran into the store and called 911.
“And he started fooling in his pocket to pull out his gun, and at that time I thought this is my time to exit, so I brushed past him,” Embler said.
Authorities said Steven Baird stole her car when she ran off.
But, within 30 seconds of the 911 call, officers spotted the victim’s car and quickly arrested Baird.
He was charged with felony carjacking, felony attempted kidnapping and misdemeanor communicating threats. He received a $250,000 secured bond.
