A late-night chase on I-95 in Palm Beach County ended in chaos and twisted metal Friday, after a driver authorities say is a South Florida drug dealer known as "G-Money" allegedly hit 113 mph before plowing through a red light in Lake Worth Beach. The crash, which involved multiple vehicles, left two people hurt and set off a shirtless foot chase through nearby yards before deputies arrested 37-year-old Gabriel Cifuentes, officials said.
Investigators say the wild scene capped an undercover narcotics probe that started back in February. A Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office detective was watching activity at Cresthaven Plaza in West Palm Beach when he spotted what he described as a fast hand-to-hand deal, according to CBS12. The woman detained after that exchange later told investigators she had bought fentanyl and crack cocaine from a dealer she knew only as "G-Money," according to the affidavit.
The following night, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper spotted a silver Honda Accord heading south on I-95 near Forest Hill Boulevard. When the trooper lit up his patrol car and hit the siren, the driver briefly acted as if he would pull over, then took off instead, authorities said. The pursuit "reportedly reached speeds of 113 mph in a 65 mph zone" and ended when the driver exited at 10th Avenue North in Lake Worth Beach and ran a red light, triggering what troopers called a "violent chain-reaction crash," CBS12 reported. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue took the driver and passenger in a Hyundai that was struck to the hospital, according to officials.
Troopers say the fleeing driver ditched the wrecked Honda, tore off his shirt and bolted through nearby backyards before being caught at North A Street and Lavue Avenue in Lake Worth Beach. During an inventory search of the Honda, investigators say they found a black sling bag that held marijuana and a New York ID they used to confirm the suspect's identity. The initial surveillance that helped launch the case had focused on the Shoppes at Cresthaven on South Military Trail, a busy West Palm Beach shopping plaza that commercial listings note is near I-95, according to LoopNet.
Charges and next steps
Authorities say Cifuentes is staring down a long list of charges, including aggravated fleeing and eluding with injury or damage, leaving the scene of a crash involving injuries, reckless driving, possession of marijuana and multiple counts related to alleged sales of cocaine and fentanyl. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and Florida Highway Patrol plan to send the case to prosecutors so formal charges can be filed in court, and booking or court records are expected to spell out the exact counts as they move through the system.
Local context
Lake Worth Beach and nearby stretches off I-95 have seen a string of high-speed incidents in recent months, heightening concern about pursuits that spill into neighborhood intersections where people are just trying to get home in one piece. Local coverage detailed a May chase that also ended at the 10th Avenue North exit, where a fleeing driver crashed and people were critically injured, a harsh reminder of how quickly a pursuit can put bystanders at risk. See related coverage in a previous Lake Worth chase.
