Police took three people into custody after an overnight armed carjacking in Miami ended in a smashing stop and a bailout.
Cameras captured a Miami Police SWAT team swarming a neighborhood near Southwest 22nd Avenue and Fourth Street, Sunday morning.
Investigators said a woman dialed 911 to alert police that her silver 2019 Hyundai Elantra had been stolen by three armed subjects.
“Three Hispanic teenagers. One of them was wearing a white jacket; the other two are wearing black jackets. They’re all wearing black pants or shorts,” a police officer is heard saying in radio transmissions.
Police said the carjacking took place near Southwest 17th Avenue and Fifth Street, and the thieves didn’t just get away with the sedan.
“The took some jewelry, female’s purse. The vehicle does have front left fender damage,” a police officer is heard saying in radio transmissions.
But the trio didn’t make it too far with the stolen goods. Investigators said they lost control several blocks away from where the carjacking took place.
Surveillance video shows the Elantra as it went over a median and slammed into an empty building near 22nd Avenue and Fourth Street.
Moments later, the security video shows two of the subjects as they took off running down the street, while the third subject ran behind the building.
Police and the SWAT team shut down the area for a couple of hours, but it wasn’t long until they located and apprehended the thieves.
Ricardo De La Hoz, who owns the restaurant Ricky’s Arepas, located next to where the crooks crashed, was surprised by the turn of events and heavy police presence.
“Sunday morning, it’s supposed to be easy. This morning, it wasn’t absolutely any easy; it was very hectic,” he said.
Now, De La Hoz said, he and his staff are dealing with a mess.
“We’re going to have to call a contractor and see if the bases are good and everything,” he said.
Fortunately, no one was hurt.
As of Sunday night, it remains unclear whether or not the subjects have been arrested and what charges they may be facing.