A driver-for-hire was carjacked in Northwest D.C. early Saturday by a pair of suspects who used a brick to break into his car before beating him and dragging him along the street.

At around 4:20 a.m. in the 2400 block of L Street Northwest, professional driver Michael Tsige was sitting in his black Ford Expedition SUV waiting on a job when he was approached on his driver’s side by someone claiming to need help jump-starting their car.

As Mr. Tsige turned to talk to the suspect, another suspect broke a passenger-side window with a brick. The pair then assaulted Mr. Tsige and attempted to remove him from the vehicle.

As the carjackers drove the stolen SUV away, Mr. Tsige was still snagged by his seatbelt and was dragged along the asphalt. 

Mr. Tsige counts himself lucky that the dragging was not fatal.

“They jumped into the car, my car, and they drive away. My leg was trapped with the seatbelt, and they dragged me on the asphalt. … When they dragged me I thought that ‘It’s over,’” Mr. Tsige told WRC-TV.

After the theft, Mr. Tsige was able to see where the car had been taken — the new Expedition has a location tracker inside of it.

The Metropolitan Police Department posted a surveillance camera screenshot of the two suspects on social media. The footage is from a gas station in Southeast D.C., Mr. Tsige indicated.

With the aid of Mr. Tsige’s tracking device Monday, WRC-TV tracked the car down to Minnesota Avenue in Southeast, showing a person inside the vehicle. The station reported the sighting to police, but the occupant fled with the car before police could arrive.

The Expedition was later found unoccupied on Q Street Southeast.

Those with information on the suspects are urged to submit their tips to MPD via a phone call to (202) 727-9099 or a text to 50411.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.