Tennessee man is arrested after carjacking

Deepa Bharath

Police arrested a 36-year-old Tennessee man after he reportedly

drove away in a car he stole at knifepoint Wednesday, officials said.

At about noon, David Keith White of Johnson City approached the

Costa Mesa victim, who sat in his 1993 Jeep 4-door parked at the

Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach, Newport Beach Police Sgt.

Steve Shulman said.

White asked the Spanish-speaking man, who could not understand or

speak English, to get out of the car, which had keys in the ignition,

Shulman said. When he did not comply, White pulled out a 7-inch

folding knife, he said.

“The victim, on seeing the knife, understood [White] wanted him

out of the car,” Shulman said. He jumped out of the car, and White

drove away, he said.

Police, on receiving the complaint, set out in search for White

and the vehicle, Shulman said.

“We put out a broadcast to other local law enforcement agencies,”

he said.

Soon, one of Newport Beach’s patrol officers spotted the stolen

vehicle on the Balboa Peninsula parked in the center median on West

Balboa Boulevard between 9th and 10th streets, Shulman said.

“Our detectives staked out at the location and took [White] into

custody as he came to the car,” he said. The victim was also brought

to the location, where he positively identified White, Shulman said.

White was arrested at about 2:20 p.m. No one was hurt during the

incident.

Shulman said it is unknown why White stole the car or if drugs or

alcohol were involved. White is being held at the Newport Beach jail

in lieu of a $50,000 bail.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.