In the groceries scenario, the act constitutes carjacking rather than auto theft.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not sure
• D. It depends

Answer: (C)

Carjacking is taking a motor vehicle directly from the person or occupant by force or fear, while auto theft is taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent, typically when the owner isn’t present or there’s no confrontation with the person. The groceries scenario doesn’t specify whether force or intimidation was used or whether the owner was present during the taking. Without those details, you can’t determine if the act fits carjacking or auto theft, so the best answer is not enough information to decide.

If the thief used threats or physical force to pull the driver out or away from the car while the owner was present, that would be carjacking. If the vehicle was taken from a location without the owner present and without the owner being subjected to force or fear, that would be auto theft.