Savalas Cigar, the suspect who led police on a high-speed chase in Miami-Dade County and was involved in a rollover crash, has been re-arrested after he removed his ankle monitor. Cigar, 46, now faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, grand theft of a vehicle, and fleeing/eluding police, after an accident that authorities have detailed stemmed from a desperate attempt to flee in a stolen black SUV, as Local 10 reported.
He was initially placed on house arrest on September 14 but disappeared after a tamper alert from his ankle monitor on September 17. The details of his capture were not immediately released, according to NBC Miami.
On August 11, a chase ended on the Julia Tuttle Causeway when the stolen SUV driven by Cigar overturned and caught fire after a PIT maneuver by the Florida Highway Patrol. Officers rescued Cigar just before the vehicle burst into flames. During the pursuit, which involved both FHP troopers and MDPD officers, authorities noted that flames were seen near the front of the SUV, raising concerns that the vehicle could become fully engulfed and trap Cigar inside.
After the chase, the carjacking victim, Glenda Defas, described her terrifying experience, saying, "I was shaking because the guy was threatening me with a hammer." She recalled feeling an overwhelming fear and expressed her disbelief at the situation. "(I said) 'You're going to destroy yourself for this and you'll destroy my life?'" According to NBC Miami, her story eventually led to an automotive CEO gifting her a replacement vehicle, a kind gesture that offered some comfort after the traumatic event, which had disrupted her life and required seven years of payments to resolve.
Cigar is currently held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center without bond. The criminal process continues to tighten around him with each new charge.
