HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — Two men in Hampton now share one thing in common—they were both car jacked by the same suspect this past Saturday morning.
The first instance happened just before 3:30 a.m. outside of Los Compadres Restaurant on Commander Shepard Blvd. A local DJ had just finished a job and was loading up his car when a man approached him and held a gun to his neck.
The DJ, who asked that we not use his name or face, had his son translate his conversation with us since he is a native Spanish speaker.
“He was trying to warm up the car and then a guy came. He didn’t know what he was saying,” the DJ said as his son translated for 10 On Your Side.
He said the man who police identified as 22-year-old Kenneth Maddox Jr. approached him, asked for his phone, took his laptop and tablet then pulled him out of his car while holding a gun to the back of his neck.
The DJ immediately thought of his family and slowly backed away from Maddox.
“My family. My babies, my wife, my family,” he said.
The DJ ran back into the restaurant as Maddox tried to unsuccessfully release the emergency brake.
“Eventually (Maddox) left with the car,” the DJ’s son told us.
Hampton police found the DJ’s car three miles down the road on Hardy Cash Drive with a damaged tire from driving with the emergency brake engaged.
“He says some people are good, some people are bad,” the DJ’s son said. “Never know what’s going to happen in the world. He was just going, finishing work and then the dude that stole everything, you might call it ‘starting his work.'”
‘Starting his work’ with another carjacking 90 minutes later around 5 a.m.
David Murphy, who was working as a Lyft driver, pulled up to Hampton Woods Apartments on Marcella Road. Maddox approached his car and asked to use his phone.
Murphy who spoke with us over the phone, told 10 On Your Side he had a bad feeling and offered to dial a number for Maddox instead of handing over the phone.
“I dialed a number for him and next thing I know I have a gun pointed to my head and he demanded me to get out of the vehicle,” Murphy said. “I put my hands up and he opened the car door and was dragging me out of the car. I quickly reached for my personal firearm and I shot. It was so traumatic, it was so crazy. I was so scared I was going to die.”
There was a struggle and Murphy said his gun was knocked out of his hand. Maddox tried to shoot him in the chest but the magazine had fallen out. Murphy begged Maddox to leave him alone as he has young children including an infant at home to care for.
Murphy said Maddox was working with an accomplice and they eventually took his car. Police later found it with major damage on North Armistead Avenue.
Murphy told us Lyft was his main source of income, and, without a car, it will be a struggle to provide for his family. He started a GoFundMe to help cushion the blow.
“It’s really emotional right now for me and my family,” Murphy said.
Maddox has been charged with two counts of carjacking and two counts of use of a firearm in a felony.
Police said he was identified after checking into the hospital for a gunshot wound. His clothing matched nearby video surveillance of the car jackings. At last check, Maddox is still hospitalized.