HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A 23-year-old woman is recovering from a harrowing carjacking that occurred Friday night in Henrico County. Graciela Montecino had just pulled into her driveway on Chamberlayne Avenue around 8:30 p.m. when the frightening ordeal began.
According to Montecino, she was preparing to exit her vehicle when an unexpected visitor opened her passenger side door. Initially thinking it was her brother, she was horrified to find two masked men brandishing firearms.
“I was going to get out of the car when my passenger door opened and I thought, ‘Oh, it must be my brother,’” Montecino recalled. “Then I saw two guns pointed at me.”
The two men, dressed in black clothing and wearing ski masks, ordered Montecino out of her 2022 black Toyota Camry at gunpoint. Fearing for her life, she complied, and the suspects sped off in her car, leaving her stunned and shaken in her driveway.
“I was thinking, ‘Okay, please don’t kill me, please don’t shoot me — I’m only 23 years old, I have plans, I have dreams that I want to achieve, I want a family, I want to live my life,’” Montecino tearfully shared.
Henrico County Police responded quickly to the scene, arriving within minutes, but the suspects and the stolen vehicle remain at large.
The carjacking not only left Montecino without her vehicle, but the criminals also took several personal items, including credit cards. According to Montecino, the stolen cards were later used to withdraw $200 from an ATM located near the Richmond Raceway.
“The detective was trying to see what time those cards were being used. It all seems to be around where the Richmond Raceway is,” Montecino explained.
As the investigation continues, Montecino has been left grappling with the emotional aftermath of the traumatic event. She reported having vivid nightmares, where she is haunted by the image of one of the suspects’ eyes and the gun that was held close to her face during the robbery.
“I saw his eyes and the gun that was very close to my face — and I actually dream about his eyes. I’ve been having nightmares about it constantly. Every time I close my eyes, or when I’m in the dark, I can just see him still there,” she said.
Despite the emotional toll, Montecino remains hopeful that the authorities will find the individuals responsible for the violent crime. The Henrico County Police Division is urging anyone with information about the incident, or anyone who may have seen the stolen Toyota Camry with license plate number TMY-6635, to come forward.
Police are continuing their investigation in the hopes of locating the suspects and recovering the stolen vehicle.
