Police in Martinez released details of a much-talked-about incident at the Amtrak station in their city on Oct. 25.
In a release, police said their officers responded to the station at 6:44 a.m. that day after receiving a report that a woman, later identified as Christina Starnes, was causing a disturbance on the platform and refused to cooperate with officers upon arrival. Starnes was issued a refund for travel from Amtrak.
MPD officers returned to the station at 7:21 a.m. in answer to a report of a carjacking that had just occurred. Investigation determined that while a motorist was arranging luggage in the back of her car in the station parking lot, Starnes took control of the vehicle, running over the victim’s foot as she sped away. A second elderly female passenger was forced from the vehicle and dragged before she was able to free herself, according to police.
Both driver and passenger – who were not identified by police – required medical treatment for injuries suffered during the crime.
At approximately 9:14 a.m. Martinez police and Amtrak investigators tracked Starnes, who was still in the hijacked vehicle, to a location in Walnut Creek where she was taken into custody. A Martinez police officer suffered minor injuries during the arrest – their cause not immediately known – and was later treated at a local hospital.
Starnes was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility and is being held on $315,000 bail. Police said she is not cooperating with investigators attempting to uncover a motive for the crime.
