Carjacking victim describes harrowing night

[FailureToCommunicate]

Source: Boston Globe

The 26-year-old Chinese entrepreneur had just pulled his new Mercedes to the curb on Brighton Avenue to answer a text when an old sedan swerved behind him, slamming to a stop. A man in dark clothes got out and approached the passenger window. It was nearly 11 p.m. last Thursday.

The man rapped on the glass, speaking quickly. Danny, unable to hear him, lowered the window -- and the man reached an arm through, unlocked the door, and climbed in, brandishing a silver handgun.

“Don’t be stupid,” he told Danny. He asked if he had followed the news about Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings. Danny had, down to the release of the grainy suspect photos less than six hours earlier.

“I did that,” said the man, who would later be identified as Tamerlan Tsarnaev. “And I just killed a policeman in Cambridge.”


http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2013/04/25/carjack-victim-recounts-his-harrowing-night/BhQWGzarWee8MZ6KtMHJNN/story.html



Read more: http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2013/04/25/carjack-victim-recounts-his-harrowing-night/BhQWGzarWee8MZ6KtMHJNN/story.html

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Finally! Another important piece of the puzzle from that night.

Another unlikely hero: "Danny" (no last name yet...Danny told the Globe reporter, Eric Moskowitz, that he doesn't want his mother back in China to worry about him!)

Update: The Globe has added a brief interview with the reporter at the link.

[trumad]

1. Wow--- dude made a brilliant move to escape//

or he would have been stuck with these two clowns the whole night.

He deserves major props for bringing this thing to an end.

[FailureToCommunicate]

2. Absolutely! "Cash only" never sounded so good!

[Yo_Mama]

14. They would have killed him

They couldn't let him go, could they? He would have set off the alarm and the hunt.

They had him tell his roommate he was sleeping somewhere else so that the car would not be flagged by the police.

His courage saved his own life and probably others. I hope he is not put off life in the US by this.

[freshwest]

49. Yes, he saved a lot of lives, in NYC perhaps, or Boston. So glad he made it.

[Yo_Mama]

51. One happy note out of

what is otherwise a very sad and fundamentally incomprehensible crime.

[Ash_F]

3. Harrowing tale.

Glad he got to make that phone call in the end.

[itsrobert]

4. I wonder what the real reason the guy does not want his real name published?

A $50,000 car and starting up his own company? I wonder what category of visa, he is here under?

[FailureToCommunicate]

6. It MAY be that, but he sounds sincere about not wanting his mother to worry.

[trumad]

9. You know what...

I wouldn't want my name published.

[wicket]

12. Have you seen these Free Jahar people?!

They are attacking anyone and everyone who doesn't support their "theory" that Jahar is innocent. I don't blame "Danny" one bit.

[freshwest]

50. Agreed.

[Yo_Mama]

15. Because he'll be totally harassed by the press

Right now reporters, like packs of baying wolves, are hunting down anyone they can find with any connection.

Further, even if you assume that the brothers were acting entirely alone, to some people he will be the villain in this story. It is not the safest type of notoriety. He has a real life, and wants to keep it.

[harmonicon]

16. Wow... I was going to post something like this as a joke.

I mean, whose job did this guy "take," you know? However, it seems I don't have to. Hatred and xenophobia reign on DU these days.

[itsrobert]

19. Well, he did say he was still a student to the bombers

Maybe he really is here on a Student Visa and working instead? How much do you want to bet he is not authorized to work in this country?

[Dan Ken]

20. Except the article specifically said he got a work permit

after returning to his native country, and came back with that permit.

So I don't think it's fair to make stuff up about him.

[itsrobert]

21. No the article does not specifically say he got a work permit

It says he went back to China to wait for a work permit. It doesn't say he actually got one. Don't say "specifically" when that is not the facts as reported.

[harmonicon]

22. With your omniscience, I'd guess you would know.

Umm... he said he told the guys who kidnapped him that he was a student. You know he said that because he told a journalist that. You know that, right? While reading the article did you instead get lost in a dream world where you thought you were remote viewing the experience?

[itsrobert]

25. Just trying to figure out what type of visa he is here on. The math doesn't add up.

"He came back two months ago, leasing a Mercedes and moving into a high-rise with two Chinese friends while diving into a startup."

Is he here on an EB-5? That takes a lot of money.


http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=13ad2f8b69583210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=13ad2f8b69583210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

Does he have exceptional abilities in his field?

[harmonicon]

26. Is it any of your business, or are you just xenophobic and/or racist? (nt)

[itsrobert]

27. Why would I be xenophobic and or racist for asking for details because the facts as reported

don't add up?

[harmonicon]

30. What's your reasoning for doubting the man? He's a foreigner? He's Chinese?

You started this quagmire you've gotten yourself into by insinuating that someone would want stay anonymous for nefarious reasons with zero reason.

[itsrobert]

34. Looks like you want me to shutup

I can take a hint. (you really don't want to know the true story, just a puff piece put out by the press)

thanks

I will shut up now, until the real truth comes out. And it will.

[harmonicon]

35. I look forward to getting that thousand dollars from you. (nt)

[Sunlei]

29. most people here on student visa are veryyy wealthy. American colleges are very expensive.

Most Americans can't afford college these days.

[treestar]

45. Maybe the family back home has money

Merely being here from a foreign country does not mean one is not wealthy or from a wealthy family.

[itsrobert]

54. a likely scenario

of many.

[harmonicon]

23. I'll take that bet. I'll bet $1,000. (nt)

[JackN415]

31. You got that right. Sometimes, I wonder if those posters are truly democrats...

[FailureToCommunicate]

37. Sorry, in my haste this morning to post, I added the comment that I heard from the

Globe reporter, Eric Moskowitz, being interviewed on WBUR where Moskowitz says "Danny" only wanted to give him his first name...so his mother back in China would not worry. It was nothing more mysterious, or nefarious, than that.

New to the link is now part of the interview with the reporter.

[Marrah_G]

55. lol

Really?

[Historic NY]

5. Danny's going to be a good witness for the prosecution!

[jakeXT]

7. Why should his mother not know, that he leased a 50000$ Mercedes?

Danny is probably not his real name ....

[trumad]

10. So what if he leased a Mercedes..

Only on DU would something as inane be discussed.

[octothorpe]

17. I heard he also owns a microwave...

Something's not right here.

[davidpdx]

39. A lot of time people with foreigners choose a nickname

I teach English abroad and usually most of my students (no all) have an English nickname. It is very possible that is his English nickname that he goes by with his friends.

[El Fuego]

43. "Danhui" is a common Chinese name.

I know someone named Danhui, and he goes by Dan.

[davidpdx]

57. Yes, that is common

That they pick something that is close to or sounds close to their native name. The other way I've seen people do that is to use half or a part of their name. For example the name Hyunjin may just got be Jin.

Most of the Korean and Chinese names are very hard for me pronounce (I've taught in both countries) and I feel so horrible when I mispronounce them. Thankfully my wife has one of the easiest names to pronounce.

[treestar]

46. No but it could be a nickname

Asian immigrants sometimes pick out a name to use as Americans may mispronounce their actual name.

[Wernothelpless]

8. Danny saved New York as well as himself ...

This one man made all the difference ...

He may not want to be a hero, but he is ...

[FailureToCommunicate]

11. Agreed. He joins the first two heros on the winners platform:

Jeff Bauman and Carlos Arredondo

[freshwest]

52. Ironic Jeff Bauman, who his brother looked in the face, expecting him to die, survived to ID them.

Last edited Sat Apr 27, 2013, 09:03 PM - Edit history (1)

To do that requires a level of cold bloodedness and uncaring about hurting others that is shocking. I'm not sure if Bauman saw Jahar, as the story I read said he ID'd Tamerlan. But he may have seen them both.

It was just before the explosion that shredded his legs. Video of the two brothers caused the police to be suspicious, because they seemed so calm in the mayhem. No doubt they showed the images to Jeff as he lay in the hospital. And now here we are, on the verge of a trial that will make history.

Carlos Arredondo's jumping over the barricades to carry Bauman to emergency personnel and the fine doctors of Boston are all part of bringing this horror to an close. When the trial begins and the victims have their say, Jahar will learn how their plans for glory or revenge failed. And maybe, he will even learn the why of it.

[FailureToCommunicate]

56. This attack-as the press has said- feels so personal. Women, children, families, your

next door neighbor.... Your student. We are still reacting at a gut level. And, even though I lost two friends in the Twin Towers attack...this still feels more personal. Weird.

You are so right about the irony. That would make anyone think about believing in karma.
I hadn't thought much about what you pointed out, till now. Thanks.

[Victor_c3]

13. Too bad he didn't have one of these anti carjacking devices on his car

[FailureToCommunicate]

42. I. Want. One! (Danny's car was so expensive I'm surprised he didn't have this already)

[Pterodactyl]

18. Odd that they targeted so many Chinese people.

What did Chinese people ever do to them?

[SunSeeker]

24. Odd that he targeted anyone. What did anyone do to them?

As far as I can tell from the media reports, they didn't specifically target Chinese people. Only two Chinese people were reported as victims. It appears the carjacking victim was picked because Ol' Speedbump and Gilligan have a thing for Mercedes and this guy was stopped on the side of the road with his engine running, providing an opportunity. And the Chinese grad student who died happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, like the over 200 other victims of this senseless act.

[Pterodactyl]

36. I agree. America was nothing but good to these people. And they attack us in return.

[Jamastiene]

44. "Ol' Speedbump and Gilligan"

You owe me a new keyboard.

[treestar]

47. +1

[freshwest]

48. Or as Obama said about victims of gun violence, they were not 'at the wrong place at the wrong time'

but instead, were actually doing the right thing at the right time.

Being at work, school, running in the marathon, on their way and living their lives. The ones who shoot, bomb or maim are in the wrong. I know you aren't flippant, but I have thought a lot about his words, when he disputed that common saying at memorial services.

As Will PItt or another said, instead of complaining of rights being endangered by the shelter in place request, the police in Boston restored real freedom. Which the runners and this student had the right to expect.

[El Fuego]

32. They were targeting expensive car drivers, who they thought would have more cash.

[davidpdx]

41. It turned out to be not a very good assumption on their part

Then again they probably didn't have a lot of options. It sounds like beyond the bombings themselves they didn't really think about what they would do after that. Not only that they picked a vehicle that had GPS that could be tracked with an iPhone.

[davidpdx]

40. I think it is a bit fitting that Danny was one of the two main people responsible for catching

these two (the other one being the guy who had the boat in his backyard). He was able to help bring justice for the four people and hundreds of injured including someone from his own country who was murdered.

I hope Danny took the second chance and told the gal in NY how he feels.

[Sunlei]

28. This guy Danny is a real hero, 100% !!

[uppityperson]

33. Thank you, this fills in more of the puzzling timeline. that poor guy. Good job Danny, you stayed

alive and got to call 911.

[FailureToCommunicate]

38. THe Globe link has added an interview with the reporter, Eric Moskowitz.

Every reporter in the Western Hemishere wanted to talk to this guy. Wonder how Moskowitz got to him...

[jakeXT]

53. Maybe through James Alen Fox, who also writes for the globe

Danny spoke softly but steadily in a 2 1/2 hour interview at his Cambridge apartment with a Globe reporter and a Northeastern criminology professor, James Alan Fox , who had counseled Danny after the former graduate student approached his engineering adviser at Northeastern.