An alleged carjacker met his end after he attempted to steal a car with a family of eight inside on May 3, 2026, in Garland, Texas. The suspect was shot to death. Reports covering the incident say a man was driving a green vehicle, which he then crashed into two other cars. He then proceeded to exit his own car and attempted to carjack several vehicles.
The man ran from vehicle to vehicle, “checking car handles” to see if any were unlocked. When this proved unsuccessful, he allegedly ran into a convenience store parking lot and tried to steal an Impala with a family of eight inside. Reports say that the father of the family could be seen inside the Impala “[struggling] as the carjacker is trying to drive off with the family’s car with family members still inside.”
The suspect continued to try to steal the vehicle when the father pulled a gun and shot him. The man was then transported to a local hospital where he later died due to his wounds. Garland Police Lt. Pedro Barineau commented on the incident, saying, “It seemed to be self-defense.” He added that, “It kind of all happened like really fast.”
According to a report from CBS News, the incident was captured by surveillance cameras from a nearby business. Local law enforcement officers say they were first alerted about a crash along Highway 66 near Dairy Road at 3:30 p.m. The video footage shows the suspect approaching a white Impala, walking up to the driver’s side door, raising his arms.
The driver of the vehicle jumped out of the driver’s side, holding a gun. He then attempted to pull the man away from the Impala, which contained his family members, but soon the two began to fight. A young boy bolted from the car, along with two women and two children, as the driver continued to struggle with the carjacker, who has been identified as Jose Ramirez.
Officers then said that the driver of the Impala stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators. “As right now we’re looking at this as self-defense,” Garland Police spokesperson Pedro Barineau continued. “We have to look at the totality of the circumstances; there are three incidents total that occurred during this shooting.”
Taylor Stanfield, a resident who has lived in the area for 13 years and saw the aftermath of the incident, said the whole thing was too close to home. “It’s definitely very concerning,” Stanfield told the media. “My kids are playing outside all the time, my wife is out there with them, and like I said, if somebody like this were able to drive away in that vehicle, who knows what could have happened.”
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Police stated the matter is still under investigation, but as of this writing, no charges have been filed against the father. Many conservatives in the comment section of a report on the situation from Breitbart hailed the father as a hero, stating that the incident is proof that the Second Amendment right to bear arms is the best deterrent against violent criminals.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video