EXCLUSIVE: Man recounts coming face-to-face with machete attacker in his car

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police are investigating after a suspect hopped into a man's car and attacked him with a machete.

Officials said the incident occurred Tuesday before 7 p.m. at the 700 block of Waterview Lane.

Jonen Kolker was shopping inside 7-11 on Byberry and Academy roads and left his car running and unlocked. Surveillance video captures a suspect hopping in the backseat.

Kolker tells Action News his backseat windows are tinted, the interior seats are black and the area isn't well-lit, which is why minutes later you can see him get back into his car and drive home.

"When I go to grab my takeout food in the passenger side, I catch something in the peripheral of my eye, and when I looked to the backseat like there is a person with a machete and a mask and gloves and a hoodie on," said Kolker. "So me and him locked eyes for about one second, it felt like 30 minutes, but it was a second and I proceeded to grab the machete with my left hand."

Kolker said he started fighting with the suspect, trying to gain control of the machete and received multiple lacerations to his hands.

"If you ever had that feeling where the hairs on your neck rise up or heart drops to your stomach it was one of those," said Kolker. "But my body took over and the only thing I kept thinking in my head is you need to snatch this machete from this dude."

Kolker said he was about to gain control of the machete when the suspect claimed he had more weapons. Kolker ran out of the car and a passerby called police.

"My adrenaline was full rush," said Kolker. "I mean the cut on my hands, they're not that bad but thankfully but I didn't feel anything until hours later. My heart was racing."

Police are warning drivers that this easily could have happened to anyone and advise to never leave doors unlocked and the car running, especially during the cold winter months.

Police do not have a suspect but are looking for a white male about six-feet-tall with green eyes.