Landscaper's Trailer, Tools Still Held As Evidence After He Was Carjacked Between Deadly Deputy Shootings

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The second carjacking victim in a violent crime spree on Friday doesn't know why he was the only one who walked away uninjured.

Jose Cruz is the only victim to come face-to-face with Friday's suspects and not be shot at or killed.

Cruz's truck became the focus of Friday's intense search after Marcelo Marquez and Janelle Monroy allegedly took it from the landscaper.

"I said go ahead and take it because he pulled a gun on me," Cruz said.

He didn't know at the time that the suspect had allegedly killed a deputy and seriously wounded another carjacking victim.

"I saw the gun that killed the sheriff. It was right in front of me with blood on top and everything," Cruz said. "I was lucky, everyone is calling me saying thank God you are alive."

After the frightening encounter, the landscaper went back to work later that day.

"We are self-employed and we don't get paid if we don't work," he said.

That work has become more difficult as his truck and tool trailer are still considered evidence.

"Without that truck I have to call my brother and use his truck, and he has to use somebody else's truck," Cruz said.

He says Marquez actually helped detach his tool trailer before taking off with his truck.

"When I was trying to remove the trailer it was too heavy so I asked him to help because he was pushing me—hurry up—and he grabbed the trailer and dropped it down, so the fingerprints was on the trailer," he said.

Investigators put out an alert with the description of Cruz's truck to track down the suspects. Before the day was over, two Placer County Sheriff's deputies would also be shot, killing one of them.

The landscaper credits a higher power with helping to spare his life.

"God needs me more down here than up there right now," he said.

Cruz says he only has liability insurance on his work truck, so his policy won't cover any damage the suspect may have caused, and he's hoping to get his work tools back within the next day.