A suspect in a vehicle that have been involved in a violent armed carjacking and kidnapping in Fort Lauderdale was taken into custody after a high-speed police pursuit Friday, officials said.
Fort Lauderdale Police officials said the pursuit began in the area of Northwest 24th Avenue and Sunrise Boulevard and involved a vehicle matching the description of one from the violent crime.
Police confirmed they pursued the white Kia Optima northbound on the Florida's Turnpike into Palm Beach County with the help of multiple agencies including the Florida Highway Patrol.
The suspect was eventually taken into custody. Police didn't release his identity and said they couldn't yet confirm whether he was the suspect involved in the carjacking.
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There were no reported injuries from the pursuit, officials said.
Police officials said they had been notified just after 6:15 a.m. Friday of the carjacking that happened near the 300 block of Southwest 1st Avenue.
The victim said he was in his vehicle when an armed man got in the passenger side of his car and demanded he drive.
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The victim was beaten by the gunman during the incident, which lasted for around two hours before the suspect let the victim out of the vehicle and fled with the victim's car, police said.
The victim suffered minor injuries.
Police said the circumstances surrounding the carjacking are similar to another violent incident this past weekend that began near the same parking lot in which a woman was kidnapped and sexually battered.
That incident happened early Saturday in the 100 block of Southwest 3rd Avenue when the woman and another man were sitting inside a car.
Police said the couple was approached by the suspect, who threatened them at gunpoint then carjacked the vehicle and drove away with the woman still inside.
The suspect allegedly drove the victim around for two hours, and at one point stopped at an ATM in an attempt to withdraw money from her account, police said.
Police said the man sexually battered the woman before leaving the vehicle, which allowed the woman to get in the driver's seat and flee.
Officers later found her alone in the car on southbound Interstate 95 near Oakland Park Boulevard after she called 911.
"It went on for approximately two hours in length, and it was an ordeal for her to say the least," Fort Lauderdale Police Det. Jennifer Saint Jean said.
Police have been searching for the suspect for days and have released surveillance footage, images and a sketch in the case.
Officials said the circumstances surrounding the Friday morning carjacking appear to be similar to the kidnapping and sexual battery case, but they haven't confirmed if both are related to each other.
"The incident from overnight, at this point, we are still in the early stages of gathering information, we do not believe that it involved a sexual battery, though we do believe that it involved an armed carjacking and an armed kidnapping," Fort Lauderdale Police spokesperson Casey Liening said.
No other information was immediately known.
Check back with NBC6 for updates.
