A man who was carjacked outside a south side restaurant said his friends helped him come up with a plan to outsmart the thieves, 10TV News reported Thursday.

Alan Heuss was sitting in his BMW on Wednesday night with the engine running when a man with a gun approached him, 10TV’s Kurt Ludlow reported.

“Some young man came up and opened the passenger door and stuck a gun in my face and told me to get out,” Heuss said.

The thieves got away with Heuss’ car, cell phone and some cash.

Heuss filed a police report and then met his friends to drown his sorrows, Ludlow reported. One of his friends came up with an idea to contact the thieves.

“He said ‘I’m going to text these guys, I’m going to blow some smoke their way,’” Heuss said. “He said. ‘I’m going to tell them I’ve got a bunch of hot chicks, as if I’m texting you, and that we’ve got some drugs, too.’”

The carjackers took the bait, Ludlow reported.

“Very early in the morning they gave him the address where they were,” Heuss said. “They were expecting this hot chick to arrive with drugs, and Columbus police officers arrived instead.”

Three men were caught red-handed in the stolen vehicle. Heuss said he expected to get his vehicle out of the impound lot on Friday.

“It’s a little seven-hour saga where the good guys won,” Heuss said.

Investigators said the carjackers are suspected in a series of car thefts.