Man arrested after alleged rideshare carjacking, rooftop standoff at Paralowie

A carjacking suspect has been caught in a tense standoff with police on a suburban roof, after allegedly stealing a rideshare driver’s car at knifepoint.

A carjacking suspect has been caught in a tense standoff with police on a suburban roof. Picture: 7NEWS

A terrifying alleged carjacking has ended in a six-hour rooftop standoff in the northern suburbs, with police arresting a man accused of stealing a rideshare driver’s car at knifepoint.

Police say two men booked a rideshare driver through an app just after 2am on Thursday morning, before threatening the driver with a knife and forcing him out of his Toyota sedan.

At 3am, police used the car’s tracking system to follow it to West Ave at Edinburgh, with the PolAir helicopter chasing the vehicle from above until the suspects dumped it on Burton Rd at Paralowie and fled on foot.

An alleged carjacker spent four hours on a suburban roof after fleeing police. Picture: 7NEWS

Police established a cordon around the property as they spoke to the suspect. Picture: 7NEWS

BREAKING: A six-hour rooftop siege between police and an accused carjacker has come to an end at Paralowie. The balaclava-clad man was one of two suspects wanted over the theft of a rideshare vehicle at Parafield Gardens. Hear from the victim in 7NEWS at 6pm. @pcaldicott7#7NEWSpic.twitter.com/kXhnL0BQsP

— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) February 1, 2024

Police said one of the alleged offenders then climbed on to the roof of a house, prompting a six-hour standoff with officers.

Superintendent Julie Thomas said police engaged with the man rather than forcibly arresting him because they feared the armed suspect falling from the roof.

“The suspect in question was reasonably calm, he just didn’t want to be arrested. The negotiations went for quite some time because we didn’t want the person in question to fall and we didn’t want any of our officers harmed in an arrest situation,” Supt Thomas said.

“We had police on the roof for some hours but that was to contain the suspect ... and ensure safety for everyone.”

A 22-year-old Hectorville man was eventually arrested and is likely to be charged with numerous offences.

Investigations are ongoing to locate the passenger of the vehicle, police said.

The driver of the rideshare vehicle was not injured.