Kentucky murder suspect in custody after Miami-Dade police chase
MIAMI - A man wanted in connection to a murder in Kentucky was afterlifted to the hospital after a brief police pursuit in northwest Miami-Dade.
Police said investigators received information about the man from the FBI.
Miami-Dade police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta said when they saturated the area where the man was thought to be, undercover officers spotted a red Camaro with a Kentucky license plate. He said when they attempted to pull the driver over. He briefly stopped and then took off.
"The detectives began to pursue the vehicle and at about 103rd Street and NW 27th Avenue. The subject struck a vehicle and continued to move on. It was a civilian vehicle and continued to go northbound on 27th Avenue," said Zabaleta. "As he approached the intersection of NW 119th Street and 27 Avenue, he lost control of the vehicle because he had traffic that was stopped and backed up due to the morning commute. He lost control of the vehicle, causing him to strike a car and flip."
The driver was trapped inside and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue had to free him. He was airlifted to the Ryder Trauma Center where he was listed as stable.
Zabaleta said, "This just goes to show that regardless of where you are, regardless of what state you are in, law enforcement works together."
Five vehicles were involved in the crash at NW 118th Street. Pearl Thomas told CBS News Miami's Morgan Rynor that her 11-year-old grandson was taken to the hospital as a result of the crash. She said she was driving her grandkids, ages 11 and 6, to school when the unexpected happened.
"I didn't see nothing," she said. "It was just all boom, surprise. It was just 'oof,' it was scary. It was a police chase and I got hit in the back."
She said the Camaro slammed into her Hyundai from behind.
"He pushed my car up and I hit somebody," she said. "I thank God for life, but I don't feel too good. My head hurts and my head is spinning."
Her 6-year-old granddaughter said the incident was "scary."
Her mother Samantha Thomas rushed to the scene saying, "I had to come here because of my kids. My family comes first and my children come first."
Police have not released the name of the man who is allegedly involved in the murder of 45-year-old Alain Garcia Perez who was found dead in his Louisville home over the weekend from blunt force trauma.
A check of the Camaro's license tag showed it was owned by Perez.
A spokesman for the Louisville Police Department told CBS News Miami's Peter D'Oench that the man arrested was a person of interest in the murder and is expected to be extradited.
It is not known why he ended up in northwest Miami-Dade and if he has a family connection to that county.