A harrowing scene unfolded at a Pembroke Pines pizza joint Saturday night when a masked gunman stormed in, assaulted an employee and fled with cash, only to be nabbed by cops after a high-speed chase ended in a crash.
Masked and armed, 34-year-old Jake Ryan Lemanski hit the Little Caesars on Taft Street, wielding his firearm with a menacing poise. "Lemanski brandished a firearm and pistol-whipped a Little Caesars employee in the head as he pushed him towards the cash register, demanding money," according to a media release from the Pembroke Pines Police and reported by NBC Miami. Despite the violent encounter, the employee escaped serious harm.
After snatching an undetermined sum, Lemanski bolted from the restaurant and sped off in a white vehicle. A close-call ensued,, police officers spotted him fleeing and gave chase, culminating in Lemanski's crash against a median wall at County Line Road and the Florida Turnpike.
Post-crash, the suspect was carted off to the hospital for a check-up, before being booked at the BSO jail. In recounting the ordeal, Pembroke Pines Police referred to Lemanski as "a dangerous and violent individual." According to CBS News Miami, Lemanski now faces charges including armed robbery with a firearm, and led police on short pursuit before crashing car.
The incident, a stark reminder of the sudden violence that can rip through the mundane, ended with Lemanski's Sunday court appearance where he confronted charges for his alleged Saturday night rampage.
