Woman and son carjacked at Adelaide's Smithfield McDonald's

AN armed man threatened to stab a woman and her young son before stealing their car at knife-point at a McDonalds store in Adelaide's northern suburbs last night.

She was in the waiting lane of the fast food outlet on Main North Rd, Smithfield, about 5.50pm when a man of Aboriginal appearance threatened her with the knife.

The terrified woman put the keys to the car on the roof and grabbed her young son out of the car as the carjacker got into the driver's seat.

The woman was too distraught to talk to AdelaideNow, but witness Danny and his wife Hayley with their to children were behind the victim's car and saw the robbery take place.

"I looked up and saw the man get into the woman's car. Then she came to my car door saying: 'He's stolen my car', so I got out and approached the car," Danny said. "He locked the door on the car and drove off.

"She was distraught - he had a knife and threatened to stab her."

Hayley said: "It was frightening. We had kids in our car and she had hers in the back - you don't expect that sort of thing to happen."

"As long as they both are all right that's all we want, there was no point jumping in the car," Danny said.

About an hour later the car was involved in an armed robbery at the Highlander Hotel on North East Rd.

Deb, who didn't want to her surname used, was in the pokies room with about 10 other people when a man brandishing a samurai sword entered the premises.

"I was sitting down playing a machine when I saw a man standing by where the cashiers are,'' Deb said."I thought it (the sword) was fake, I didn't think it was real. I thought it was the manager dressed up in a scenario to trick the staff.

"He demanded the money, he said this is no f------ joke, then he smashed the sword three times on the counter,'' she said.

"Then Michael (a staff member) pushed the female cashier behind him as the robber produced a Hungry Jack's bag and told him to fill it up with money.''

Deb said the manager came out and told the bandit to calm down, but he kept saying this was no joke. As the man ran from the pokies room Deb said she stupidly started to chase into the carpark.

"Michael, the employee, called out my name in the carpark and the bandit who was about 5m away turned and looked straight at me.

"Then I heard the car door slam and he was in the passenger seat, then car took off. I just felt brave all of a sudden... I know it was a stupid thing to do, then I had goosebumps all over me.''

AdelaideNow understands a large amount of cash was stolen in the robbery.

The police helicopter was brought in to search for the vehicle.

News.com.au