Armed carjacking leads to multi-county police pursuit with dramatic ending
A police pursuit spanning multiple counties has come to a dramatic end after two heavily armed suspects caused chaos on the roads, with one even attempting to evade capture by swimming in a canal and breaking into a nearby residence.
The incident started when authorities received a report of an armed carjacking of a white Lexus at the 12800 block of North Bayshore Drive in North Miami on Wednesday afternoon. From there, a tense chase ensued, taking the subjects all the way to Palm Beach County before making its way back down to Broward County, finally coming to a halt in Tamarac at around 3 p.m.
The majority of the chase was caught on camera by 7 Skyforce, with the subjects weaving through traffic and, at one point, even going against oncoming traffic. As the pursuit drew to a close, the passenger in the stolen vehicle, holding a rifle, attempted to carjack another driver in a silver car at Commercial Boulevard and the Florida Turnpike overpass. After the driver refused to open the door, the subject returned to the stolen Lexus.
In the vicinity of Commercial Boulevard and Rock Island, the driver of the stolen vehicle was observed getting out and pointing a gun at the driver of a white Tesla. The subject then proceeded to take over the Tesla and fled in reverse, leaving his accomplice behind on foot. The second subject attempted to run to the passenger door of the Tesla but tripped, eventually being detained after a brief foot chase with deputies.
The driver of the stolen Lexus continued to flee in the Tesla, even attempting to escape between two law enforcement cruisers. However, the driver was ultimately caught when a police pickup truck rammed into the vehicle.
Despite being seemingly willing to surrender at first, the driver ultimately attempted to flee once again, running through bushes and across a road before diving into a canal in a residential neighborhood. The driver then swam to the other side and ran through the neighborhood, startling a duck before running into a random home at Northwest 54 Street in Tamarac. There, he barricaded himself inside.
After approximately 10 minutes, the driver finally surrendered to police, emerging from the home with his hands up and wearing only his underwear. Gisela Taveras, the owner of the home the suspect ran into, recounted how she was sewing in her garage when the subject entered her home, grabbing some juice from her kitchen. She ran out and flagged down a deputy, who instructed her to seek shelter at her neighbor’s house.
Another resident, Gigi, watched the chase unfold on TV, surprised to learn that the suspect was hiding in a home just a street away from where she lived. The second suspect was taken to the hospital on a stretcher, but the extent of their injuries remains unknown.
Deputies have seized the weapons and towed away the vehicles involved in the incident, though the identities of the suspects have not yet been released. They are expected to appear in court on Thursday to face charges.
