Miami-Dade Search Sweetwater Area For Man In Connection To Boat Thefts
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - An investigation into a stolen boat led to short police pursuit where a Doral police cruiser was hit by the suspect he was chasing.
It started with a traffic stop.
Just before 6 a.m., Miami-Dade police were investigating a boat theft near the International Mall when a Doral police officer spotted a pickup truck towing the stolen boat.
According to the police, the officer pursued truck for about a mile trying to get the driver to pull over.
At one point the driver of the truck stopped "and proceeded to put the vehicle in reverse and rammed our officer," said Doral police spokesman Rey Valdes. "Anytime you have another vehicle that's used to impact, literally to attack an officer, the fact that he got out with no injuries is miraculous."
The truck took off again and after a short chase stopped in the area of NW 110th Avenue and NW 12th Street where three men took off on foot. Police said a woman who with them woman stayed inside the truck and was taken into custody.
"There were two that fled into the woods, canine apprehended one," said Valdes.
The male driver was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit. A perimeter was established and canine units along with police helicopters searched the wooded area just east of the Outlet Mall. At approximately 8:50 a.m., the third suspect was located and arrested.
The search was called off late in the morning, the fourth suspect still at large.
The driver, 41-year-old Alexander Hernandez, was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, fleeing police, and resisting arrest without violence.
The second man, 41-year-old Alfredo Llanes, was charged with resisting arrest without violence, fleeing police, and battery on a law enforcement officer.
The woman was not charged.
