A series of carjacking attempts in Hollywood led to the arrest of a suspect after a violent confrontation and quick-thinking by the victims. Edward James Dawson, 34, of Pompano Beach, was charged with six counts, including carjacking, aggravated battery, and burglary with assault or battery following his alleged attempts to steal multiple vehicles on Wednesday morning, according to Local 10.
The events began at Oakwood Plaza shopping center when Dawson allegedly assaulted 64-year-old Kurt Decker in an attempt to steal his red Ford F-150. Decker fought back, and after a struggle, Dawson was unable to steal the truck. A bystander was also injured during the altercation when they were hit in the knee by the truck.
Shortly after, Dawson targeted 20-year-old Khila Darrisaw at a McDonald's drive-thru, as per the WSVN report. She recalled that Dawson pulled open the unlocked door and jumped into her car. Darrisaw fought back, taking the key out of the ignition, but Dawson shoved her out of the vehicle and drove off.
Using license plate reader data, law enforcement tracked the stolen car and suspect to an area just outside Fort Lauderdale. Both Decker and Darrisaw positively identified Dawson as the assailant. Darrisaw told WSVN, "I just think this is a learning lesson for everybody to be very aware of your surroundings."
Decker was unharmed except for soreness on his face. Dawson refused to appear in court, but Judge Corey B. Friedman found probable cause for the charges against him, as the victims begin to recover from the events.
