A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent at the Otay Mesa crossing shot at a suspected carjacker as he fled into Mexico Saturday,which prompted authorities to temporarily close the busy crossing to southbound passenger vehicles.
It was not immediately known if the reported carjacker was shot, if he was apprehended by Mexican border agents, or if he disappeared into the La Mesa neighborhood of busy Tijuana.
The shot was fired by the agent on southbound state Route 905 at the International Boundary crossing, minutes after a carjacking was reported adjacent to the San Ysidro gate, five miles to the west.
About 9:15 a.m., a man got into a running gray Toyota Tacoma pickup in the 4500 block of Border Village Drive, according to San Diego police and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The truck's woman driver was dragged a short distance and sustained minor leg injuries as the carjacker took over. Her 7-year-old son was apparently able to escape.
The pickup was apparently driven five miles east to the Otay Mesa gate, where the agent fired at the pickup as it reached the crossing without stopping. But it was unclear if the driver was struck, police said.
The southbound Otay Mesa auto route into Baja California was initially closed to vehicles, but the truck scales and crossing into Mexico remained open, according to Caltrans. Northbound inspection gates were open, as were north and southbound pedestrian lanes.
No restrictions were reported at San Ysidro or Otay East crossings.
Caltrans officials said shortly after 1 p.m. the southbound border crossing had been reopened.
The incident was not apparently connected to Friday's Los Angeles kidnapping of a boy whose father was believed taking him illegally to Mexico.
The Amber Alert continued Saturday, police said.
