Victim of Wednesday’s carjacking incident speaks out

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The victim of Wednesday's carjacking incident at Arizona Western College shares with KYMA what was going through her head as she was held at gunpoint.

Alma Sandigo, a NAU Yuma professor had just arrived to work when the man approached her and demanded she hand over the keys to her brand new Acura.

"It was one of those cars you know with a start button and so he didn't know how to maneuver, so he said 'tell me how it works or I'm going to shoot you' and so I did. I had to tell him how to turn on my car," explains Sandigo.

She says she tried to stay calm, but on the inside she was scared.

Adding that she's thankful to be alive today.

"I appreciate that at least he had some humanity to not shoot," says Sandigo.

Sandigo says based on the suspect's demeanor, it's possible he was on drugs.

"He was very nervous. He was bouncing back and forth," says Sandigo.

Sandigo says her privacy was invaded and immediately called her husband who helped her through the scary situation.

"It was not a nice feeling, knowing that somebody is in your property, touching your things and then destroying it with no repentance," continues Sandigo.

Sandigo confirmed her car was totaled and says the suspect tossed everything in her car, including her husband's brand new wheelchair.

44-year-old Alfredo Panduro Zendejas, from Yuma, stole a total of three vehicles Wednesday, and attempted a fourth, before crashing and dying.

The Yuma Police Department said Zendejas has an extensive violent criminal history, including serving time in prison.

It all started at around 7:45 a.m. when the Yuma County Sheriff's Office took a report of a stolen large water truck and two stolen firearms in the area of Araby Road and County 9 ½ Street.

Then, at around 9:12 a.m. the YPD took a report of another attempted carjacking near the Marine Corps Air Station.

According to the press release, a Hispanic man threatened a 45-year-old woman with a gun and attempted to take her vehicle but it would not start.

The suspect then left in the large water truck, he stole earlier that day.

At around 10 a.m., the suspect carjacked a purple Acura in the parking lot of AWC, threatening a 51-year-old woman with a gun.

The suspect left the scene in the Acura, leaving behind the water truck.

Then, around 10:41 a.m., the stolen purple Acura was seen on 16th Street and Pacific Avenue but was then lost in the area of 24th Street and Kennedy Lane.

At 3:57 p.m., the stolen Acura was being pursued by Somerton Police Department northbound on Avenue 3E and became a multiple-agency pursuit said the press release.

The pursuit went onto I-8 eastbound to Foothills Boulevard, back westbound on North Frontage Road, then south on Avenue 8E.

And then eastbound on South Frontage Road which caused an accident at Fortuna and South Frontage.

The suspect continued to Foothills Boulevard, west on North Frontage Road then north on Fortuna Road to Highway 95 westbound.

The suspect then abandoned the Acura at 16th Street and Pate Drive and ran away on foot northbound.

According to the press release, the suspect shot at a Department of Public Safety vehicle and carjacked a small silver car in the area of 15th Place and South Lee Drive.

The suspect threatened the woman in her 70s with a gun, they discharged the firearm twice near the woman victim and her passenger, but no one was injured.

The pursuit continued through the Yuma Palms Regional Center Mall to Giss Parkway down to Avenue B and continued southbound.

The vehicle made its way to County 15th Street and Avenue 3E where the suspect crashed with a semi-truck in the intersection said the press release.