Sonora PD Press Release re:car jacking arrest

17 January 2012, at approx. 4:00 pm, the Sonora Police Department responded to an attempted carjacking at the AM/PM mini mart on Pesce Way. The victim told officers that she was parked at the pumps preparing to pay for fuel, when she was approached by a male subject. The subject told her, “this is a carjacking, give me the keys to your car.”
At this point the victim could see that the suspect was holding a knife in his right hand. Then for some unknown reason the suspect dropped the knife to the pavement. The victim quickly stepped on the knife. However, the suspect pushed the victim off of the knife and retrieved it then he walked away from the gas station. The victim was able to give officers a clothing description of the suspect. The victim also gave a physical description of the suspect which matched that of the carjacking suspect from the night before.
At approx. 5:00 pm, an Officer observed a subject on S. Washington St. whose clothing matched the clothing description of the suspect of the attempted carjacking. The subject also matched the same physical description.

When the Officer attempted to contact the subject, he took off running and was last seen entering a yard of a residence on the 500 block of S. Washington St. Officers established a perimeter and located the subject hiding under a house.
The subject was identified as Zakary Howerton, 21 of Sonora. Howerton had in his possession the identification belonging to the carjacking victim from the 16th and the ignition key to her vehicle. Howerton was placed under arrest and transported to the Tuolumne County Jail where he was booked for felony carjacking and felony attempted carjacking. Howerton is also a suspect in a residential burglary which had occurred earlier in the day inside the City.