Arlington mother shot protecting son during attempted carjacking

The mother of a 3-year-old child was shot in the leg during an attempted carjacking in Arlington after she refused to give up her car since her son was in the backseat.

The confrontation happened around 5 p.m. Friday on Roberts Circle.

Police say the 32-year old mother was leaving a friend’s house and put her son in the backseat of her car. When she walked around to the driver side, she was approached by a young man wearing a hoodie and blue bandana over his face and told her to give him her car.

Police say when the man pointed a gun at her, she realized what was going on, her motherly instincts kicked in and refused to let the man take her car in order to protect her son. Sgt. Brad Norman with the Arlington Police Department said that’s when things got violent.

"When she continued to refuse continued to resist and didn’t give up her vehicle, the suspect fired twice. One round did hit her,” Norman said. “She's in very good condition with a gunshot wound. She will recover, non-life threatening. And she will be released and be able to come home."

Without being able to take the car, the gunmen ran off.

A friend of the victim said after the mother was shot in the upper leg, she tried to go back up to the house to get help but collapsed in the driveway. Since no one inside the house heard the shots, she resorted to throwing rocks at the front window of the house until someone noticed her and called 911.

The mother is expected to fully recover. Her son was not injured during the incident.

Police are searching for the gunmen and are interviewing witnesses. Anyone with information is asked to call the Arlington Police Department.