New video in case of Bethesda carjackers stymied by stick shift

Porsche driver was struck in the head by a handgun during the incident

December 1, 2023 7:44 p.m.

Multiple suspects attempted to carjack a Porsche in Bethesda on Sunday, but there was one problem: they didn’t know how to drive a stick shift. The incident was captured in a dashboard camera video released by Montgomery County Police on Friday.

Around 11:53 p.m. on Sunday, police said they responded to the 7300 of Wisconsin Avenue for the report of an attempted armed carjacking. Police determined that a man parked his gray 2022 Porsche 911 in a parking space on Wisconsin Avenue, and after exiting his car, a maroon Nissan Rogue stopped next to him.

Three men exited the Nissan, and one of them pointed a handgun at the victim, told him to hand over his car key and struck him in the head with the gun, police said.

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Then, police said that the victim handed over his key and one of the other men attempted to drive the Porsche away, but there was a major snag: the car had a manual transmission, and the suspect could not operate it, according to police.

After the failed carjacking, the suspects got back in the Nissan and left the scene, police said. One of the suspects, who was armed and stayed in the car while the alleged carjacking occurred, can be seen in the dash cam footage aiming his gun out the window as the suspects drove away.

Police asked the public for help Friday in identifying the four suspects from the released video footage and to share any information about the suspects or the incident with investigators. Police described two of the suspects as between 16 and 20 years old.

To submit tips, people can visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org and click on the www.p3tips.com link at the top of the page or call 866-411-8477. Police said they are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest, and tips can be anonymous.  

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