Pizza delivery carjacker with a conscience calls to apologize

Even on his day off, Maverick’s Pizza owner Mitch Johnson is rolling in the dough, and says his New York-style pie is the best town. But someone was much more interested in one of Johnson’s delivery vans than one of his signature creations.

Johnson says one of his drivers was making a delivery Saturday evening when he pulled up to this stop sign at Jefferson Ave. and Griggs St. in St. Paul when a big and angry man walked out in front of his car blocking it and yelled at him to get out of the car. The driver says he felt intimidated so he did what the man said and got out of the van. Then, the man hopped in the driver's seat and took off, leaving the driver without the vehicle he needs to do his job.

The very next day, Johnson got a phone call from what he called a “very distraught” and “emotional” individual, who said he was sorry he took the car and told Johnson where he left it. Sure enough, Johnson found the van in the parking lot at Linwood Monroe Arts Plus School about 5 minutes away with the keys on the dashboard and the pizza inside.

“It is weird,” Johnson said. “I honestly think the guy is going through something right now. He's maybe got a coping mechanism to deal with what's going on right now.”

Since the carjacker with a conscience came clean, Johnson is eager to get back to business with one unusual story any way you slice it.