Man Crashes Stolen SUV On Siesta Key, Runs Away: Sheriff

SIESTA KEY, FL — A Sarasota man was arrested after crashing a stolen SUV on Siesta Key Sunday morning and running away from the scene, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Around 11 a.m., deputies responded to a vehicle crash involving a Mazda and an SUV near the 4300 block of Midnight Pass Road. According to witnesses, the Mazda was speeding when it turned southbound from Higel Avenue into the opposite lane, hitting the SUV head on before colliding with a nearby fence, the sheriff’s office said.

The Mazda’s driver ran from the accident on foot before deputies arrived. When they ran the tag of the car, they realized it had been stolen in Sarasota.

With assistance from the agency’s aviation, marine and K-9 units, as well as the Longboat Key and Sarasota police departments, deputies searched the area for the suspect, later identified as 25-year-old Dahowd Alyan.

A reverse 911 call was placed to all residents within a two-mile radius of the crash to locate him. After receiving several tips from the public, Alyan was found on foot around 1 p.m. near Rocketman smoke shop at 2635 Mall Drive in Sarasota and taken into custody, the sheriff’s office said.

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Alyan faces multiple charges, including three counts of leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, leaving the scene of a crash with injuries, driving while license suspended and violation of probation.

He has more than 20 prior local arrests on charges including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, burglary, grand theft, fraud and drug possession, SCSO said.

He remains in custody without bond and faces additional charges from the Sarasota Police Department.