ORLANDO, Fla.-- Lawrence Beck's hands and elbows are bandaged and there are stitches on his face. But, on the plus side his Infinity is back in his driveway a day after he was carjacked, allegedly by 26-year-old Thomas Eichelberger.
Beck says he left the car running for just a couple minutes on Hazel Street in College Park while he ran inside to get the trash out for collection. "Went to the curb, saw my vehicle going down the road and proceeded to chase after it. There was some gentleman driving my vehicle."
Beck was able to run down the car and grabbed on trying to get the carjacker out. "When I opened the door, he started screaming. As if I was carjacking him."
He says Eichelberger started punching him and driving full speed through College Park with Beck, still holding on.
Then he let go, hitting the pavement hard but not giving up. He got help, from another driver, "Jumped in his car, we started chasing the guy a couple blocks down."
Finally at Harrison and Winter Park Street police say Eichelberger ditched the car. Beck got out too and followed him until officers arrived and arrested Eichelberger.
It turns out he's also a registered sex offender; he was arrested in Kissimmee in 2017 for allegedly getting naked in front of people, including a child, at a neighborhood clubhouse.
Beck says Eichelberger was definitely bold. "With my car being 10 feet from my front door, and I believe the front door was even open when that all happened. I just didn't hear anything."
Eichelberger is in the Orange County Jail with his bond set at $20 thousand.
