A Hollywood man was carjacked at gunpoint outside his home, NBC Miami reports. Nestor Santorio was unloading groceries from his yellow Camaro around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday when two masked men, brandishing a gun, demanded his keys, wallet, and phone. "You can lose your life," Santorio recounted, thinking of his daughters during the harrowing ordeal.
The thieves fled in Santorio's car but were stopped shortly after, thanks to a neighbor who witnessed the carjacking and alerted authorities, and a police tool designed to halt vehicle pursuits. Hollywood police utilized a grappler tool, described by department spokeswoman Deanna Bettineschi to NBC Miami, that ensnares a fleeing car's tires and forces it to a standstill. Santorio, amazed by the tool's effectiveness, likened it to "like Spiderman."
In a separate report, Local 10 News confirmed that the incident occurred near the 900 block of Hillcrest Drive. The stolen vehicle was stopped near Washington and 56th Ave by Hollywood police officers. Both suspects, revealed to be 17-year-old males, were arrested and charged with felony robbery-carjacking with a firearm.
The incident left the neighborhood rattled, with resident Oleksandr Nehrii acting quickly by calling the police as he was heading out to get pizza. One of the teenagers tossed the gun out of the window during the police chase, as per a statement given to Local 10 News. The Hollywood Police Department has six vehicles equipped with the grappler tool that helped in apprehending the suspects.
Hollywood Police have urged anyone with additional information about the case to contact them at 954-764-4357. The community is left to contemplate the stark reality of violence breaching the mundane in broad daylight, as Santorio continues to grapple with the traumatic experience.
