A South Florida woman was given a life-changing surprise after being carjacked, before the suspected carjacker led police on a chase that ended in a crash in Miami Beach.
Glenda Defas was parking her SUV in Miami earlier this month, when a man asked her for money. When she told the man she didn’t have any money, he approached her with a hammer and threatened her, she said.
Defas walked away, but moments later, the man got inside her SUV and took off. Her brother, who is disabled and deaf, was inside the vehicle but got out when the man hopped in.
The following day, her SUV -- that she had spent seven years paying off -- was totaled after a police pursuit ended in a crash in Miami Beach and the suspected carjacker, identified as Savalas Cigar, behind bars.
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Weeks later, on Saturday morning, Defas received the surprise of a lifetime, after Rita Case -- CEO of Rick Case Automotive -- saw her story on NBC6.
“It was all over the news, NBC6 really covered it well. I heard the story and thought, man, you know, I've got a lot of cars -- here, let me help this family," Case said. "Knowing that her brother was in the car disabled and deaf, her being assaulted with a hammer just the whole trauma of it. I had to help.”
The Rick Case Automotive Group then gifted Defas a 2020 Honda Passport for free.
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Defas told NBC6 that she felt all her prayers had been answered.
"I feel like Jesus listened to me and sent me angels -- Sent me angles to release my tragedy," Defas said. “I feel in shock, I feel like this is a dream. I don’t want to wake up.”
Meanwhile, Cigar is charged with grand theft and fleeing and aggravated eluding a police officer.
