Two 22-year-old suspects are facing several federal charges after leading police on a three-county chase in Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Broward counties. The two suspects were already wanted for weapons charges in the three counties when deputies identified them as suspects in an armed robbery in North Miami’s Key Stone Islands community.
The crimes and the chase
One of the victim’s neighbors was able to record the license plate number on the vehicle used by the suspects. She told police that the two men stole a Rolex watch from her neighbor. Shortly afterward, the suspect pair stole a Lexus on North Bay Shore Drive. They were next spotted by the North Miami Police Department in Opa-Locka. The two suspects then drove toward Boca Raton before reversing course and heading south on the turnpike.
The capture
At about 2:00 p.m., Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies reported that the Lexus was in their jurisdiction. The driver left the turnpike and drove into the City of Tamarac. The pair unsuccessfully attempted to steal another vehicle. The duo was armed with a long gun, and they swiftly stole a Tesla. They began driving west on Commercial Boulevard between the cities of North Lauderdale and Fort Lauderdale.
A law enforcement officer driving an unmarked police pickup truck purposely collided with the Tesla and prevented it from being driven further. The two suspects jumped from the Tesla, leaving an assault weapon behind them. They ran away from Commercial Boulevard and then separated. One of the pair was swiftly apprehended. The other removed his shoes and some clothing and swam across a nearby canal.
After reaching the far bank of the canal, he ran through some residential streets in Tamarac. He found a house with an open garage door and entered. The owner discovered the intruder in the kitchen and ran outside to flag down a police car.
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team soon surrounded the house, and the suspect surrendered at about 2:30 p.m. He was taken to a local hospital for a physical exam before being imprisoned in the main Broward County jail in Fort Lauderdale.
The charges
According to officers in the Broward County Jail, the two men were incarcerated on a charge of armed carjacking. Deputies involved in the case said that the two men will face additional charges.
One of the men is a convicted felon who has been accused of violating his probation and has a history of weapons-related crimes in South Florida. The other suspect has a history of arrests in Opa-locka and Homestead. He is awaiting trial in a case where the judge has revoked his bond status and issued an arrest warrant.
Crime isn’t worth it
The two men in this case are facing several serious criminal charges, including the thefts they committed while being pursued by sheriff’s deputies. Their record of prior convictions will also weigh heavily against them when they come to trial. Anyone facing similar charges may wish to retain an experienced criminal defense attorney for an evaluation of the evidence, advice on defense strategies, and if proper, assistance in negotiating an acceptable plea agreement.
