Ruby Jane re-counts story of carjacking

"At a certain point, he actually pointed the gun at me and tried to get me to get back in the car," said the 17-year-old Smith, who lives in Austin, in a KXAN News interview. "A nd I just kind of like backed up."

 

Smith, a rising star who plays fiddle, mandolin, 12-string guitar and other instruments, said that her mother's screams probably frightened off the attacker, whom she figured was about 19 years old.

 

"My mom was screaming and making a lot of noise, which at the moment it sounds like that would not be a good thing to do," Smith said. "But actually the fact that we were making so much noise he wanted to get out as fast as he could."

She began playing the bluegrass fiddle professionally at age 8.

According to a police report issued this week, a man carrying a firearm accosted Smith and her mother, JoBelle Smith, 49, and ordered them out of their 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer just before midnight on Dec. 8. The attacker drove off in the vehicle.

Among the items inside the vehicle were about $2,000 in cash, a guitar valued at $10,000, a custom-made violin imprinted with the name "Ruby Jane" worth $4,000 and other items.

The car was found at a fast-food restaurant parking lot, and appeared to have been "trashed," Smith said. One 12-string guitar was recovered, but numerous other items are still missing.

One item still missing, Smith said, is "a very special handmade violin and it has my name on the inside. “We’re still really hoping to try to recover that. It was a violin made for me. Custom made by one of the best violin makers in the world, Jonathon Cooper. I was actually on tour with Willie Nelson and he sent the violin to me there.”

JoBelle Smith traveled to Houston Friday morning after police reported finding her stolen car. Officers told her it appeared someone tried to break into the car after it was abandoned.

She said in a phone interview that part of the back tailgate was bent and pulled away from the body; there are also scratches and dents along the door, appearing as if someone tried to slide something in between the doors to get to the lock.

JoeBelle Smith said the officers found the car Tuesday, but she didn’t find out about it until Thursday. The car seemed to drive OK, she said, which is good because it's their prime mode of transportation to and from shows.

Smith said she was “smudging” the car, which she described as burning herbs, with the belief that the smoke will carry the bad spirits away.

She called it an old Native American tradition.

Smith said that officers told her that the thieves may have ties to Louisiana. She said she’s trying to figure out how to search for the stolen fiddle.

“It’s just so important to her. I have to find it," JoeBelle Smith said.

The Austin music community plans to hold a benefit for Ruby Jane Smith on Saturday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Victory Grill, 1104 E. 11th St.

The second benefit is set for Sunday from noon until 3 p.m. at Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road , in New Braunfels.