Carjacking Suspect Caught After Police Chase
NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE (CBS4) – A man driving a stolen car was taken into custody after he was involved in deadly crash during a police chase Monday evening.
It began, according to Miami-Dade police, when officers pulled over the driver of a Cadillac CTS on NW 83rd Street and 15th Avenue. A check of the vehicle came back that it had been reported stolen. When the officers approached the car it's the driver, identified as 21-year old De Andre Diaz, put the vehicle into reverse and accelerated in the direction of an officer, according to the arrest report.
The detective opened fire as the car sped off. Two blocks later, at 17th Avenue, Diaz slammed into a Dodge Neon in the intersection, according to police. The impact pushed smaller car nearly 60 feet; the 20-year old driver, Andre Leon, was killed. His passenger was critically injured.
"I'm hurt. I held him in my arms as a baby. I thought him how to fish, how to talk to people, how to respect women," said family friend Luther Cochran Sr. "Just tears my heart apart I can' talk no more hurt too much."
Diaz bailed out of the Cadillac and tried to escape on foot; he was picked up about a block away. took off on foot.
He's been charged with vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of an accident involving serious injury/death, driving without a license/suspended license involving a death or serious injury, armed robbery, car jacking and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.
