Caught on camera: Tampa carjacking suspect arrested in Gainesville after fleeing in box truck, troopers say
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - A wild pursuit was caught on Florida law enforcement's dash cameras and body camera footage after a suspect carjacked three drivers in Tampa and fled in a stolen box truck that had a GPS tracker. He was arrested about 130 miles away.
According to police, 33-year-old Brandon Baker stole a black Nissan Maxima as a woman was about to enter her vehicle and leave for work.
Tampa police said it occurred Tuesday, in the early morning hours, in the 16000 block of Enclave Village Drive. They said Baker demanded that she exit the car.
Full video: Florida carjacking suspect flees in box truck, drives in wrong direction
A Tampa man carjacked three people before driving away in a stolen box truck. He ended up in Gainesville, where dashcam footage showed him driving in the wrong direction on I-75 and the attempts deputies made to stop him. Finally, a PIT maneuver was successful and the suspect jumped out of the still-moving box truck, and tries to run away, but was hit by a patrol car. A hundred miles away from Tampa, he was arrested.
Officers said "within minutes," they received another 911 call in the 6200 block of Ashbury Palms Drive, where Baker allegedly forced himself inside a home and confronted a second victim, who is a known acquaintance. The victim was forced out of the home and into the stolen Maxima, police said.
According to investigators, the victim was able to escape and Baker had already fled by the time police arrived. The Maxima was found abandoned at Tampa Palms Boulevard and Compton Drive.
Then, about an hour later, police responded to another report of a stolen vehicle that occurred in the 18000 block of Highwoods Preserve Parkway. The third carjacking victim was in the back of a white Isuzu box truck. When he exited the rear of the vehicle, he spotted Baker in the driver's seat, police said.
That's when Baker fled in the truck – which happened to be equipped with a GPS.
With the help of the GPS tracker, the Florida Highway Patrol and Alachua County deputies caught up with him in Gainesville. They attempted a traffic stop, but Baker began driving north in the southbound lanes of Interstate 75 as they entered Alachua County.
READ: Tampa man fled to Tennessee after murder of 1-year-old, police say
Dashcam footage shows Baker driving in the wrong direction, blowing through red-light intersections, and at one point, driving through a parking lot and hitting a car.
Deputies attempted another PIT maneuver, which was successful. Baker is seen jumping out of the box truck while it was still moving. The dashcam video shows him trying to flee, but ended up running into deputies' cruisers. With the help of a police K9, he was taken into custody.
Baker is facing several charges, including armed carjacking, burglary with battery, kidnappings, and grand theft auto.
Two deputies had minor injuries. The carjacking victims in Tampa were uninjured.