Coarsegold men jailed after allegedly carjacking friend to buy drugs

Two men were arrested after they allegedly carjacked a man in Coarsegold so they could drive to Selma to buy drugs, the Madera County Sheriff's Office said Sunday.

The victim, who knew the two suspects, alerted authorities to where he was by calling 911 and pretending the dispatcher was his girlfriend, the sheriff's office said.

The incident started about 6:30 p.m. Friday when the victim drove to the Blackfoot Road home of Christopher McCombs and his uncle William McCombs to give them a ride to a convenience store.

The men forced the victim into the backseat of the vehicle and began driving toward Fresno. The victim tried to convince the men to let him out, but they would not do it. He was able to make the 911 call and provide clues to where he was.

California Highway Patrol officers spotted the vehicle on Highway 99 south of Fresno and, after a short pursuit, pulled it over near Selma. The suspects ran, but were quickly arrested.

The victim was uninjured and easily identified the suspects, since he knew them, the sheriff's office said. The suspects apparently told the victim they needed to get to the Selma area to buy narcotics.

Christopher McCombs and his uncle, William McCombs, were booked into the Madera County Jail on suspicion of carjacking, kidnapping and evasion. Christopher McCombs also was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

This story was originally published January 24, 2016 at 4:22 PM with the headline "Coarsegold men jailed after allegedly carjacking friend to buy drugs."