A suspected carjacker in Florida escalated an already dangerous situation when he fled from a traffic stop and took a Wawa store clerk hostage early Sunday morning. According to The Miami Herald, the 35-year-old man from Port Orange is believed to have commandeered a vehicle in Daytona Beach at gunpoint, forcing the driver to transport him.
The incident unfolded around 2 a.m. in Port Orange, a short drive south from where the carjacking was reported to have initially occurred. Police in pursuit managed to quickly locate the vehicle and attempted to perform a stop at the gas station. However, the suspect exited the vehicle and made an attempt to quickly enter the store, grabbing an unsuspecting clerk. "Officer, I have a gun. ... I’m telling you that now," the suspect is heard saying on police video—a firearm was duly found on his person, as reported by The Miami Herald.
Officers followed him into the store, and video obtained by the police shows the suspect surrender after the Wawa employee managed to break free. WSVN reported that he was subsequently arrested and faces a series of charges, including kidnapping, armed carjacking, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, battery, and resisting without violence.
Authorities affirmed that the clerk was not harmed during the incident. The reasons behind the suspect’s decision to grab the clerk remain unclear, as officials have yet to provide an explanation. The suspect, whose name has not been released, remains in custody.
