Dun Meng, the Chinese man who was allegedly carjacked by the Tsarnaev brothers after the Boston Marathon bombing, recalled the dramatic ordeal Thursday while testifying at the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
Meng, who came to Boston to attend Northeastern University, told the jury that on the night of April 18, 2013, he was out for a drive to clear his head and pulled over to send a text message. That's when Tamerlan Tsarnaev approached his car, forced his way in, and demanded Meng drive.
As they were driving, Tsarnaev told Meng, "I did the Boston explosions and just killed a cop in Cambridge."
"Very quickly" a man walks to my car and looks in my passenger window; it was the passenger from the other car, Deng testifies.
Deng is asked to lower window; he assumes guy needs directions. But the guy reaches in, unlocks the door, and opens it, jumping in car.
Deng: He jumped in very quickly, pointed gun to my head and asked for money first, "where is the cash?"
Deng is told to hand over his wallet, but it's empty of cash. Gun is pointed at Deng's head whole time, he says.
Deng: then he pulls the magazine out to show bullets. "I'm serious, don't be stupid," Deng is told.
Meng thinks he will be OK because he handed over his cash. But then he's ordered to drive.
Deng: carjacker says, I did the Boston Marathon explosions "and I just killed a policeman in Cambridge."
Carjacker says, OK, you're Chinese, "I'm Muslim, Muslims hate Americans." Meng: the Chinese like Muslims. "Just drive."
Meng testified that he drove Tamerlan Tsarnaev to a Bank of America in Watertown, while the younger Tsarnaev brother followed in another car. When they arrived at the bank, the brothers started to transfer "things" from the other car to his SUV, Meng said.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev then took Meng's ATM card and withdrew some cash. Dzhokhar got into the backseat of the SUV while Tamerlan took over driving and headed for a gas station, where hoped to fill up and drive to New York City.
During the drive, the tense situation inside the SUV nearly unraveled when Meng's roommate called and texted him.
Then my roommate called my cell. It was connected to the car, so all could hear. It was 2nd time she called, first time I didn't answer.
Then she sent text message, in Chinese, saying it's dangerous outside. Tamerlan asked what the message was about.
Then Tamerlan asks how you say "no" in Chinese, and asks for help getting Chinese-English dictionary on the cell phone
Five minutes later, the boyfriend of the first texter, called on my cell. Then Tamerlan became "nervous, anxious." He asks again who calling
He then pointed the gun to my head, and said "you have to answer the phone." Said "if you say anything in Chinese, I'll kill you rt now."
Tamerlan said just say "you are sick" and "you'll stay at a friend's home tonight." I pick up the phone & answered in English.
Later, Tamerlan seemed more relaxed, and said "Good job, good job" to me.
Minutes later, they arrived at a gas station in Cambridge and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev went into the store to get snacks and drinks. Meng testified that he saw the stop as his last opportunity to make a run for it.
Meng waited until Tamerlan Tsarnaev's hands were not on his gun, then jumped out of the cabin and darted across the street to another gas station.
Images released by the court on Thursday show Dzhokhar Tsarnaev at the ATM in Watertown, Massachusetts, on the night of the carjacking.
Tamerlan told him to put 50 dollars of Super in. Tamerlan had gun his pocket. "I was thinking about running away at that point." #Tsarnaev
"I thought they were heading to New York. Maybe I don't have another chance." Conditions were prime. " #Tsarnaev
"If two of them are in the car, I have no chance." "Only have one person in the car, and he didn't have the gun in his hand." #Tsarnaev
"Both of his hands were on the Garmin GPS." They got it out of their car, the second time. #Tsarnaev
"I think this is my best chance…the door of the car is unlocked. I only have to open the door, jump out" #Tsarnaev
"Or should I take this chance, to run away Two choice I had at that time. I count down 1,2,3,4 Open the car door, dash into street #Tsarnaev
"I could feel he tried to grab me. He was shouting a word." What word? "Fuck." #Tsarnaev
When he got to the gas station across the street Meng called 911.
Meng continues... I run across to other gas station, praying "please open, please somebody in there."
Meng: I was too scared to look to see if they followed me; i couldn't even look behind me, thinking that could bring them over to me.
Meng: I went into a storage room behind the clerk, in case they followed. "I just wanna hide in case they came into the store."
Meng gets on the phone, 911 dispatch says, take a deep breath. "What happened?" Meng's English is clipped and rapid; he's terrified.
Meng tells dispatcher..."They told me they did the marathon explosion!!!" "They what?"
Dispatcher: sir, what did he say? Meng: please come they have guns
911: are they there now? Meng: yes please come 911: they are at the gas station? Meng: yes 911: did they leave? Meng: I don't know.
BREAKING here's still pic of carjacking victim at the Mobil mart after running for his life #tsarnaev
Tamerlan Tsarnaev lets Dzhokhar know that the carjacking victim has escaped.
