Elijah Justin Beck sentenced to 10 years state prison for attempted carjacking of elderly victims' vehicles and stabbing

Defendant Elijah Justin Beck was sentenced to 10 years in state prison last week after a Sonoma County jury found him guilty of attempting to carjack two elderly victims’ cars and stabbing another victim at the Fourth Street Safeway parking lot in Santa Rosa.

District Attorney Carla Rodriguez stated, “The lengthy prison sentence in this case is completely warranted by the defendant’s erratically dangerous conduct. The victims were vulnerable, and nobody could have predicted such a series of crimes would occur within the supermarket parking lot. Thankfully, multiple community members detained Mr. Beck before he could continue his rampage elsewhere. I hope the prison sentence helps provide some measure of closure to the victims.”

On May 16, 2023, Elijah Justin Beck threatened to kill an elderly woman who was sitting in her SUV at the Fourth Street Safeway parking lot in Santa Rosa. Beck held a large butcher knife in his hand while ordering the victim to get out of her car and threatening to kill her. Beck repeated his threats while reaching into her open driver’s side window and jabbing his knife at her. Beck finally gave up after terrorizing the victim for several minutes, and he ferociously stabbed her tire as he walked away. The victim called 911 and reported the subsequent events as they unfolded.

The victim then watched in horror as Beck approached a gentleman who was conducting a transaction at the ATM machine in the same shopping center. Beck got very close to the man and pointed his knife at his chest. This second victim managed to turn away as Beck lunged at him with the knife. Because of the victim’s quick reactions, Elijah Beck stabbed him in the upper arm, instead of his chest.

Just then an elderly security guard pulled up in his sedan. The security guard got out of his vehicle, leaving the keys in it, to confront Beck with his baton. Beck was not intimidated by the guard; instead, he went after the elderly guard with his knife. Several people, including the stabbing victim, grabbed shopping carts and other items to protect the guard from Beck.

Seeing the keys in the guard’s car’s ignition, Beck jumped into the sedan and tried to drive off in it. However, the bystanders and stabbing victim were able to stop him. While one man rammed a shopping cart in the open driver’s side door, the stabbing victim got into the back seat, found a laptop bag in the car, and used the strap to pin Beck’s head to the seat rest. Just as Beck wriggled out of the strap and emerged from the car with the knife still in his hand, a Santa Rosa police officer showed up and detained Beck at gunpoint.

Elijah Beck was charged with two counts of attempted carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, elder abuse, and using a knife during the commission of these crimes. After a two-week trial a Sonoma County jury found Beck guilty of all possible charges. On May 6, 2025, the Honorable Judge Kenneth Gnoss sentenced Beck to 10 years in state prison. During the sentencing hearing the victims told the court about the emotional harm they are still experiencing from Beck’s actions two years later. Judge Gnoss acknowledged the harm to the victims as well as the terror Mr. Beck inflicted on all who happened to be at the Safeway parking lot that day.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Marianna Green, who was assisted by District Attorney Investigator Robyn Fuentes. Santa Rosa Police Department conducted the investigation.

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Contact Information:
Media Spokesperson, Chief Deputy District Attorney Matt Henning
Media Coordinator, Carrie Trevena
Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California (707) 565-3098