Baby has a lucky escape as hijacker smashes car into vehicles
A VIOLENT Dublin criminal has been charged with hijacking a car before smashing it into another vehicle with a 10-month-old baby inside.
He was arrested by armed gardaí after stealing a car in the city centre before crashing the vehicle in south Dublin.
He is well-known to gardaí and has previously been arrested for aggravated burglary, dangerous driving and assault.
He is expected to appear in court this morning.
The incident began about 8.15am on Saturday when a man driving a car was stopped at traffic lights on Capel Street.
A man approached the driver and threatened him before forcing him out of the vehicle.
The hijacker then sped off along the quays heading southbound.
About 10am, gardaí were alerted to a car driving erratically along the Naas Road.
A short time later, the stolen car crashed into two other vehicles that were sitting in traffic on Walkinstown Avenue.
Members of the Armed Support Unit (ASU) were nearby and arrested the suspect.
A 10-month-old baby was in one of the vehicles into which the hijacker crashed, but no injuries were reported.
The 29-year-old was arrested as part of the investigation and taken to Store Street garda station.
He has since been charged in relation to the hijacking and dangerous driving and is due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice this morning.
A source said it was extremely fortunate that no injuries were caused during the incident.
“This could have been a lot worse, the hijacker was reported driving in an erratic manner across the city.
“He was eventually arrested but not before crashing into two cars that were on the opposite side of the road.
“A 10-month-old baby was also in the car but luckily wasn’t injured, and neither were any of the other occupants.
“He was arrested at the scene by the ASU, who were quick to respond to the incident,” the source said.
The Dublin man has almost 20 previous convictions for violent crime, as well as robbery and drink driving.
The suspect also recently received a fully suspended sentence after being convicted of stealing thousands of euro from an elderly pensioner who had just withdrawn the money from an ATM when he was robbed.
The court was told the pensioner was targeted by the criminal prior to the crime.
A source said: “This man comes from a well-known family in south Dublin who local gardaí would certainly be familiar with, to say the least.”
A Garda spokesman said investigations into the incident were ongoing.
“Gardaí have arrested a man in connection with the hijacking of a car that occurred on the morning of Saturday, August 1, 2020, in the Dublin 1 area.
“At approximately 8.15am, a car was stopped at traffic lights on Capel Street, Dublin 1, when a male approached and told the male driver to exit the vehicle.
“The driver exited the car. The offending male took control of the vehicle and drove southbound on the quays,” the statement said.
“This car was then involved in a road traffic collision with two other vehicles on Walkinstown Avenue, Dublin 12, at approximately 10am. No injuries were reported.
“The driver of the stolen vehicle, a man aged in his late 20s, was arrested at the scene and detained at Store Street garda station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.
“He has since been charged in relation to this incident and is due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice.”
The Dublin man has almost 20 previous convictions for violent crime