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Wareham Woman Escapes Carjacker Who Demanded Money

WAREHAM (CBS) - Carol Widner was just carting groceries to her car at the Wareham Stop and Shop thinking she was alone when she opened the door. "I went to my car and I didn't see anyone around," she tells WBZ-TV.

But a Wareham man, 31-year-old Matthew Mullen, who claimed he was toting a gun had opened the passenger door and started demanding money, ordering Widner to drive to a nearby Mayflower Bank. "He said do what I say and don't do anything stupid," said Widner who had no reason not to believe he had a poked a gun into her side.

He demanded she make a withdrawal from the ATM machine, but there was one problem. "I said I don't have an ATM card. He said put in four zeroes which I did and of course that didn't go through." Which only agitated the desperate Mullen who ordered Carol Widner to hit the gas again. "He was getting really angry because he couldn't believe I didn't have an ATM card and he's calling me all kinds of names."

As she drove from the bank she knew there was a Wareham Police substation not far away, and her goal was to get some help and get out. "I saw the police car coming out of the side street. I turned the engine off and jumped out and the car was still rolling."

She made her escape while Mullen drove off with police in pursuit. Police say he abandoned her vehicle and entered the backseat of a second car occupied by a man, woman and their two month old baby. They say he also told the couple he had a gun and ordered the mother to drive away from the area.

Wareham Police surrounded the vehicle in seconds and arrested Mullen without further incident. He's now being held on $100,000 dollars cash bail, and Carol Widner is only now realizing the danger. "Oh, I was fearful alright, I sure was."

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