NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – A man was arrested and faces several criminal charges afterwards, officials said, he led the police in a high-speed chase in parts of Miami-Dade County for nearly an hour in a car he stole two more days early.
Jonathan Craig, 25, stopped and turned himself over to the police in a residential area near the intersection of 43rd Street and 22nd Street Northwest, shortly after 11 am, when the black Mazda 3 he was driving seemed to be out of action.
7Skyforce HD hovered over the scene as the police put the man in handcuffs.
Present at the site was Xavier Barker, the owner of the Mazda. He said he was robbed with a gun on Tuesday.
“The man took my car, drove away with my car,” he said.
Barker said he called the police when he spotted the vehicle in Opa-Locka on Thursday morning, leading to the chase.
“He saw the police earlier. He took off, he took off, ”he said.
The Mazda, with the rear bumper hanging from the vehicle, can be seen speeding through parts of Opa-Locka, Miami, Miami Gardens, Hialeah and Northwest Miami-Dade. The chase spanned several highways and residential areas.
At some points, Craig reached speeds of up to 120 miles per hour and even drove against traffic.
“This individual was traveling at high speed with unbridled indifference to human life,” said Miami-Dade Police detective Argemis Colome.
The driver passed several cars and even stole some. At one point, he is seen almost hitting other drivers head-on.
“We do not have the extent of the damage, but we know that no one was hurt,” said Colome.
For the most part, the police kept a safe distance while trying to catch Craig while protecting the public.
Finally, drivers on the Florida Highway Patrol put pressure on the driver as they followed him closely.
Residents of the Northwest Miami-Dade neighborhood, where the chase ended, said the reckless driving may have caused a tragedy.
“What he did was very dangerous. Someone could have been hurt, ”said Protuanda Robinson, a resident of the area.
Craig pulled over and got out of the vehicle with his hands up. Several policemen approached with guns drawn, handcuffed him and placed him in the back of a car.
7News cameras captured investigators searching the vehicle for evidence.
Barker regretted the damage his Mazda suffered during the chase.
“He messed up my car,” he said.
Now he expects the man who caused all this commotion to pay for what he did.
“Whatever they do to him, throw the book at him, I don’t care. You can do this, you need to do it, ”he said.
Thursday night, police identified Craig and said he faces several charges, including armed car theft, theft and escape and police delusion.
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