Carjacking Suspects Nabbed After Chase

Suspects involved in a Monday afternoon armed carjacking in St. Petersburg didn’t manage to get too far before police caught up with them.

The incident began around 1 p.m. when a man contacted the St. Petersburg Police Department to report he had been carjacked at gunpoint by several teenagers in the area of 39th Avenue South and 8th Street, an email from the agency stated. The vehicle swiped was a white Ford Fusion rental that had California plates.

Police spotted the car a short time later in the area of 22nd Avenue South and 45th Street. When they tried to stop the car, however, its driver fled.

“Since it had been involved in a violent felony, a pursuit was authorized,” the email said. “During the course of the pursuit, which lasted several minutes and was confined to the southern section of the city, the tires blew out on the suspect vehicle which continued to attempt to flee on its rims.”

The driver of the Focus ended up getting on Interstate 275 heading south in the northbound lanes, the agency reported. The driver, however, lost control of the car near 26th Avenue South. Two people inside the car attempted to bail out at that point, but were brought into custody.

Police have not yet identified the suspects in the case. They have said that no injuries were reported.

No further details are available at this time.

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