A Lemon Grove woman said her niece was in a bizarre car chase that ended with what her niece described as the scariest moments of her life.
On Friday, just before 1 p.m., Brianne's niece Nina had just left Brianne’s home in Lemon Grove when Nina, 17, pulled over to change her music playlist.
“A man driving a silver Altima slows down, pulls over, and starts staring at her,” said Brianne.
“It really creeped me out and I decided to drive away,” said Nina.
Nina, who asked us to hide her identity, says when she drove off, the man who was in his late 40s, made a quick U-turn and started following her.
Nina showed us surveillance video she says reveals a few moments of the terrifying minutes that followed. In the video, she makes a left turn, followed by the other car close behind.
“I get a FaceTime. She's completely distraught,” said Brianne.
Brianne told her niece to get back to the house, but Nina didn't make it.
Near the corner of Alton Drive and Ensenada Street, Nina says his car pulled up alongside hers and tried to box her in.
“His car is touching my car. He's trying to run me off the road,” said Nina.
Nina says his car boxed her in at a concrete wall.
“She’s screaming 'he's going to get me. He’s coming toward me. You have to help me,’” said Nina.
Nina tells us the man got out of his car and went for her door.
“Once he cornered me, I didn't know what to do. I felt like it was the end for me, that he was going to get me,” said Nina.
Nina says just as the man lunged for her door, she reversed her car - and sped off.
At the same time, Brianne and her husband were racing to the area and saw the man in his car.
“I was yelling at him, and he swerved to try and hit me and then swerved to hit my husband,” said Brianne.
Both she and her husband escaped uninjured.
“The look in his eyes. He was on drugs and looking for something. He is a danger. He will do this again,” said Brianne.
Nina's family posted the incident on Facebook pages like East County Emergency Updates in hopes of spreading the word.
“I’m having nightmares. I’m sleeping with my mom and brother. I just don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” said Nina.
As the car was driving off, another family member was able to get a license plate. Sheriff’s detectives have it and we're told the investigation is ongoing.
