The Dallas Police Department is increasing patrols in the Mockingbird Lane area in efforts to catch a serial carjacker who has robbed six women in East Dallas. On Wednesday, a man fitting the description from previous carjackings stole a woman’s SUV in the 6300 block of Martel, while the woman’s two children were still inside the vehicle.

The 35-year-old woman was backing out of her driveway in a 2005 Ford Expedition when she noticed a trash container blocking her way. She got out of the car to move it, and the robber jumped in her car and started to drive away with her 7-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son still in the car.

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"She was screaming and being aggressive to protect her children," said Senior Corporal Janice M. Crowther. "The suspect did stop and let one of the children out, and the mother continued to scream and run after him until he let the other child out."

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In some of the robberies, the carjacker has brandished a gun or box cutter. In Wednesday’s robbery, he had a small toy gun, which police later found at the scene. So far, no one has been injured in the robberies.

The carjacker has been described as an unshaven black man of average height and build. In some cases, he has worn the type of reflective vest that construction workers wear. Some victims have said he has gray hair in his beard and a gap tooth. Police think he could be riding the DART train to Mockingbird Station and walking to nearby neighborhoods to steal cars. Most of the robberies have occurred in business or apartment complex parking lots. "Most of the victims have been caught off guard," Crowther said. "The best thing we can do as women is to be vigilant at all times."

Three of the stolen vehicles have been recovered in South Dallas, and two have been used in other robberies, Crowther said. One was used in the robbery of a Sally’s Beauty Supply in Cedar Hill, and another was used to rob a Sally’s in North Dallas.