3 Teens Accused Of Triggering Miami Beach Manhunt

MIAMI BEACH, FL — Three teenagers are accused of Tuesday's armed carjacking that snarled traffic and triggered a tw0-hour manhunt around DiLido Island. Police spotted the silver VW Jetta on the Venetian Causeway during the evening rush hour. Police said one of the teens was from Bay Harbor Islands and another was from Sunny Isles while the third was from Lehigh Acres in Lee County.

The Jetta was believed to have been stolen in the 300 block of 71 Street around 1:30 p.m.

Miami Beach police identified two of the suspected carjackers as 18-year-old Juan Mena of the 200 block of 179th Drive in Sunny Isles and 18-year-0ld Austin Fernandez of Leigh Acres. Both were charged with robbery and armed carjacking along with conspiracy to commit a robbery with a deadly weapon. Patch is withholding the name of the third suspected carjacker because he is still considered a juvenile.

The Jetta was believed to have been stolen in the 300 block of 71 Street around 1:30 p.m.

"The defendants spotted the victim as he was sitting in his 2003 VW Jetta," according to court documents. "Defendant Fernandez provided defendant Mena with a firearm and all the defendants forced the victim out of his car, demanded his watch and phone and took his car."

Following the alleged carjacking, court documents said that Mena was left behind because he couldn't open the locked rear car door.

"The three defendants met up later in the evening and were caught driving the victim's stolen VW," court documents said.

A firearm was also recovered, according to Ernesto Rodriguez of the Miami Beach Police Department, who said that traffic was disrupted for a time as a result of the incident.

The arrests followed the release of a photograph of the three suspected carjackers by Miami Beach police.

Miami Beach police received assistance from the Miami-Dade Police Department, Miami Police Department, Miami Beach Fire Department and Florida Highway Patrol.

Rodriguez said that the VW Jetta was initially spotted around 6 p.m. on the Venetian Causeway. "The occupants of the vehicle bailed out and fled near DiLido Island," he said.

Rodriguez added that the victim of the carjacking was not injured.

Juan Mena (left) and Austin Fernandez photos courtesy Miami Beach Police Department