Gwinnett, Georgia

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution of October 10, 2005

Alleged hijack bid nonstarter

Gwinnett police on Friday arrested a man they characterized as a would-be hijacker who tried to commandeer a tractor-trailer idling in traffic.

Unfortunately for him, said officers, he chose a truck whose driver was armed.

Police said Cesar Iban Santoyo Pantija, 23, jumped into the cab of a tractor-trailer traveling north on I-85. It was about 11:30 a.m., and traffic had come to a stop just south of Indian Trail Lilburn Road, police said.

According to investigators' reports, Pantija told the driver, Christobal Colon of Auburn, "You have to take me out of here."

Colon, 43, said no. Police said he told the intruder to go back the way he'd come in --- out the passenger side door of his truck. Pantija ignored the order, Colon told investigators, and moved closer to the driver. Colon reached for a handgun and showed it to Pantija, police said. He also repeated his order: Get out.

Pantija told Colon that the driver had two choices: drive Pantija away, or shoot him.

Colon had a third choice, and took it.

He got out of his truck, gun and truck keys in his hands, according to reports. Police said Pantija moved into the driver's seat, saw a set of spare keys and tried to start the truck. Colon reached into the cab and yanked Pantija out. Then Pantija began to chase the armed driver around his big rig, police said.

Colon circled his truck, jumped back into his seat, threw the machine in gear and drove away, police said. He also dialed 911.

Pantija was "highly intoxicated" when officers arrived on the side of the interstate, according to reports. Noticing a car parked nearby, officers surmised Pantija either had been in a motor vehicle accident or his car had broken down.

Either way, he wanted to put some miles behind him, police spokesman Darren Moloney said. "We think the man was trying to avoid a DUI by getting the heck out of Dodge," he said.

Pantija got as far as the lockup in Lawrenceville. Police charged him with simple assault, hijacking, having an open container in a vehicle, driving under the influence and having no operator's license.