Sacramento Mother Grateful Strangers Saved Children From Carjacker

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – A mother tried to fight off an alleged carjacker who tried to steal her car with her kids in it.

"My daughter is going to fall out of the car or I'm not going to see them," Tara Rodriguez told CBS13. "This is going to be the last time I see my kids," she thought.

Rodriguez said she walked into the store around 12:30 p.m. Thursday and when she turned around a man was speeding off with her 5 and 6-year-old strapped in the back seat.

"I was all, 'Take the car. Let my kids out. I won't even come up to the door,' and he just floored it again," she said.

But thanks to two perfect strangers who sped off and chased the suspect, Rodriguez would see her kids again.

"Those people really saved my kids life because they corned him in and the husband punched the dude out and they did everything for my children," she said.

The suspect took off running, but didn't get far. Police arrested Shaun Masse who now faces a number of charges including kidnapping and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Still shook up, Rodriguez said she was living a nightmare.

"I opened the door when he was driving," said her little girl Julianna.

"She tried to open the door to jump out and I told her, 'Close the door, I'll come for you,'" Rodriguez said.

As scary as it was, Julian and his sister Julianna managed to stay brave.

"I saw my kids and I broke down and said oh my God just to see them again."

Rodriguez said the only way she could explain this to her kids, was to tell them there are still some good people in this world.

"Those people they saved my kids and I'm hella grateful. I don't know who they are or where they're at," she said.