Lexus salesman is safe after robber hijacks car at gunpoint

Published 11:57 am Thursday, February 21, 2008

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — After 14 years of selling cars, Grant Strom says he is a pretty good judge of character. But he didn’t expect to have a gun pointed in his face while test driving a car Tuesday.

At about 6 p.m. on Aug. 20 Strom, 58, who works for Lexus of Seattle at 20515 Highway 99 in Lynnwood was robbed at gun point in Mountlake Terrace of the IS 300 Lexus he was test driving by the potential customer riding in the passenger seat.

“He told me to pull over so he could stretch his legs and look more at the car. When I told him ‘no’ we’d do that back at the dealership, he pulled a (semi-automatic) gun out of underneath his shirt,” Strom said. “I thought he’s either going to take me somewhere and I’m not coming back or I can grab the barrel of the gun (like he did) and push it aside far enough to get out — I thought if he does get me it’s not going to be in the head.”

Strom was unharmed. Two witnesses in a truck behind the car at 213th Place and 61st Avenue West in Mountlake Terrace saw the whole event and called 911. Police arrived soon after the call.

The suspect is still at large and the vehicle hasn’t been recovered as of Aug. 21 according to Mountlake Terrace Police Sgt. Craig McCaul.

Strom was the one driving the car because the man’s driver’s license was “too tattered” for them to allow him to take it on his own, Strom said.

“Other than the driver’s license there was no reason to be suspicious of this guy,” Strom said. “He fit the bill for this level of Lexus and he had a good story and was calm.” He added that it is typical for salespeople to drive the car for the customer in cases where everything doesn’t check in just right.

“I didn’t expect the gun to come out of his shirt,” Strom said. “You get where you can be a pretty good judge of character—I was just glad to be out of there.”

Police are looking for a black male, about 20-years-old, tall, slender, well dressed and cleancut driving a black IS 300 Lexus, McCaul said.

Anyone with information should call 911 or Mountlake Terrace Police detective Kevin Pickard or Sgt. Craig McCaul at 670-8260.