A mail carrier helped prevent a Coachella carjacking, but lost his mail truck to the robber, sheriff’s officials say.

The crimes began about 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24, along the 52400 block of Morgan Street where a man armed with a metal pipe tried to carjack an elderly neighborhood resident.

“A nearby U.S. Mail carrier stopped to help the victim,” Deputy Armando Munoz said in a written statement, “however, the suspect carjacked the mail carrier’s U.S. Postal truck.”

The truck was found abandoned along Avenue 52. And a deputy arrested a 32-year-old Coachella man.

Hernan Ortega was arrested for investigation of carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, and two warrants charging him with a previous vehicle theft and possession of stolen property, Munoz said.

Anyone with additional information may call Deputy Damian Ruiz at 760-863-8990.