A Miami man with a considerable felony record led police on a high-speed chase along Northwest 42nd Avenue (Le Jeune Road) in Miami on New Year’s Day.
The call came in as a shooting at a Miami hotel near the airport. The caller, allegedly the man’s girlfriend, reported that she had been shot and that the man who shot her had left the hotel in a Dodge truck.
Police pursued the truck from Miami into Coral Gables, where the man allegedly began throwing boxes of marijuana out of his truck. The police were able to collect some of the boxes. There are no reports as to how much marijuana may have been present inside the truck. Trafficking in cannabis (marijuana) in Florida requires possession of 25 pounds or more.
The high-speed pursuit ended when the suspect’s truck crashed into another car in the City of Coral Gables. The suspect was taken to the hospital.
Court records indicate that the suspect may have been on felony probation for owning or operating a property for the purpose of trafficking in a controlled substance.
While no charges have been announce, I am predicting that the accused will most certainly face aggravated fleeing and eluding charges. He will also face a probation violation. Depending on the amount of marijuana recovered, he could also face charges ranging from possession of marijuana all the way to trafficking in marijuana. If the girlfriend cooperates with police, the man could also face attempted murder charges and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Upon his release from the hospital he will be transferred to jail where he will remain in custody without a bond due to the pending violation of probation.
Eric Matheny is a Miami fleeing and eluding attorney and Broward fleeing and eluding attorney.