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The victims of a violent, armed carjacking attempt in Hamilton last week are sharing their experience and warning others as Hamilton police report a significant surge in similar incidents.

It was a harrowing experience for the married couple, who agreed to be interviewed by CHCH News.

We’ve concealed their identity to protect them from potential retaliation by the suspects, who have not yet been arrested.

On December 20, the married couple visited someone they know, leaving their vehicle in the driveway.

At least two suspects attempted to steal the vehicle, using a gun to threaten the couple.

The whole incident was caught on security camera and shows the victim struggling with a suspect in the driver’s seat of the vehicle.

“That’s the wrestling going on inside there,” the man said, pointing to the video playing on his phone.

“And then my wife, she came out and opened the door. And when she opened the door, basically he was trying to come out. So she was helping me restraining him, when his friend, see that’s his friend, ran out, and all I could hear say ‘gun gun.'”

The couple says an additional suspect approached them, pointing a gun, and the initial suspect was able to get away.

“And when I looked up, I’m looking in the barrel of the gun,” the man said.

The woman says the suspect pointed the gun at her first before directing it towards her husband.

The two suspects then ran back to a white car waiting for them on the road.

The carjacking attempt happened in the area around West 5th Street and Brantdale Avenue. There were no serious injuries.

While Hamilton police initially reported the carjacking attempt took place around 8:30 p.m., the family says it was closer to 6:20 p.m., which corresponds with security camera footage.

The family says they called 911, but Hamilton police’s handling of the incident did not match their expectations.

The couple says police didn’t come to the scene, or patrol the neighbourhood in the hours after the incident, despite the victims reporting that they saw the suspect’s vehicle near their home shortly after.

“We were told they wouldn’t fingerprint the vehicle, then the next day, they did fingerprint the vehicle,” the woman said.

Hamilton police refused to be interviewed Thursday and didn’t provide comprehensive answers to questions about the couple’s claims, citing an ongoing investigation.

However, in a statement sent to CHCH via email, a spokesperson said “the victims opted to stay within their vehicle, away from the scene and promptly visited the police station where they were greeted….no new developments in the investigation have been released to the public.”

Hamilton police say 2023 has been the worst year for vehicle jacking in the last decade, which is defined by a vehicle being taken from its owner by force.

A total of 17 incidents were recorded this year alone. The average is 10 incidents per year.