ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — A man suspected of kidnapping a woman and her two small children in South Florida has been arrested following a police chase through Northeast Florida.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said it first learned about a car wanted in connection to the Broward County crime on March 3rd from the Margate Police Department, which believed he may have been driving through the area.
Officials said deputies with SJSO located the car before being led on a high-speed chase into Putnam County.
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In police audio released by the Sheriff’s Office, it was suspected to be a white Chevy Malibu rental driving on the wrong side of Highway I-95 at more than 130 miles an hour
The driver, listed as Michael McNeal, reportedly crashed at Highway 17 and Comfort Road in Putnam County before running from deputies on foot.
The woman and her two children, which could be heard crying in the video, were rescued from the car.
A pursuit began with support from an SJSO helicopter and K9 units. Officials said McNeal was eventually spotted using a thermal camera hiding inside a dump truck outside of a nearby junkyard north of the crash site.
Video shows McNeal eventually exit the truck with his hands up before being taken into custody.
He faces multiple charges within St. Johns and Putnam counties, including aggravated fleeing and eluding of law enforcement, resisting law enforcement, child neglect, and reckless driving.
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