Hillsborough County, FL (Plant City) – At 4:15 a.m. this morning, two men, one armed with a handgun approached a man and woman pumping gas at a Circle K store at S.R. 60 and Hwy 39 in Plant City.
Khalil Holt, 19, and Raheim Johnson, 20, stole Dakota McCormick, 19, and Shannon Griffin’s, 18, 2006 Chevy Malibu and fired a shot from the vehicle as they were fleeing southbound on Hwy 39.
Mr. McCormick called 9-1-1 and reported that two black males approached him, one pointing a gun in his face, the other “ripped” his girlfriend out of the car and took off.
A short time time later, responding deputies searching for the suspects, spotted the stolen vehicle traveling on Lithia Pinecrest Road in the Fishhawk area.
The deputy followed the car for a distance allowing additional deputies including HCSO Aviation Unit and a K9 deputy to arrive. Once sufficient deputies had arrived, a vehicle stop was initiated with a marked patrol car. The suspects refused to pull over and a pursuit of the stolen vehicle that lasted approximately 10 minutes began.
The pursuit ended when the driver lost control of the stolen vehicle and flipped over in a ditch on S.R. 640 just east of Bonnie Mine Road in Polk County.
Carjackers lost control and overturned car in Polk Co near Mulberry. Took off on foot deputies/dogs caught them. pic.twitter.com/1ByJBiQA2i
— AdriennePedersenWFLA (@wflaAdrienne) August 8, 2014
Neither suspect was injured in the crash and were able to exit the vehicle and flee on foot into a heavily wooded area.
HCSO deputies including a HCSO K9 deputy followed the suspects into the woods and captured both suspects hiding approximately 1/4 mile from the crash site. EMS treated one suspect at the scene for a minor dog bite to the leg.
Both men have been arrested and charged with Armed Carjacking and will be booked into the Polk County Jail later this morning.
Deputies have recovered a loaded Kel-Tec 9mm semi-automatic handgun in the stolen vehicle.
There were no other injuries or property damage as a result of this incident.
