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LOS ANGELES – A Fresno man has pleaded guilty to a federal criminal charge for carjacking a motorist last year in Fullerton and throwing her out of the car before leading law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit in which he hit a police car, then fled on foot before officers apprehended him, the Justice Department announced.
Deshawn Ricks, 35, pleaded guilty on Thursday to one count of carjacking.
According to court documents, on the afternoon of June 14, 2023, Fullerton Police officers were dispatched to the scene of a carjacking that occurred in a parking structure in downtown Fullerton. The victim told officers she was sitting in her parked 2022 Mazda CX-5 SUV with the vehicle turned off when Ricks approached her, opened her car’s door, and ordered her out of the SUV.
When the victim refused, Ricks placed one of his hands on her lower back and brandished a metal object – which the victim described as a “shank” – in his other hand. Ricks threatened to stab the victim, then pulled her out of the vehicle by her hair and body.
Ricks then got into the vehicle and while he attempted to get it to start – the SUV had a “push to start” feature – the victim reached into the vehicle, grabbed her purse, and then walked away to get help. Ricks then drove the car within five feet of the victim and left the area.
Approximately 10 minutes after being notified of the carjacking, Fullerton Police officers located Ricks driving the victim’s stolen SUV. Despite officers’ attempt to make a traffic stop, Ricks led police on a high-speed pursuit in Fullerton in which he ran red lights, drove into oncoming traffic, and hit a marked police vehicle. Later during the chase, when Ricks lost control of the speeding Mazda that then was struck by a police vehicle, he exited the SUV and fled on foot before officers apprehended him.
After law enforcement stopped the vehicle, officers found a pointed, serrated metal stake type object – approximately 12 inches long – near the front driver’s seat.
United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong scheduled an April 11, 2025, sentencing hearing, at which time Ricks will face a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Orange County Violent Crimes Task Force (OCVCTF), which is comprised of federal and local law enforcement agencies, including, but not limited to, the ATF, the Santa Ana Police Department, the Brea Police Department, the Fullerton Police Department, the Placentia Police Department, and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jena A. MacCabe and Chelsea Norell of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
