With theft and domestic violence charges pending, they got cuffed on a carjacking rap

An accused assistant chain snatcher and man accused of domestic violence got their legal troubles extended when Fort Lauderdale police arrested them Monday afternoon as carjacking suspects.

Kye Bruce, 21, has been charged with carjacking with a firearm; fleeing with disregard to safety of people or property; reckless driving; resisting an officer without violence; and interfering with school administrative functions. Tyonn Smith, 20, was also charged with carjacking with a firearm and resisting charges — the former of which would violate the probation he received after his 2015 conviction for carrying a concealed weapon.

Police say when they saw a car in the 2500 block of Northeast 13th Court that matched the description of a car in a recent Broward Sheriff’s Office-reported carjacking, Bruce and Smith were riding in the driver and shotgun seats. The two scampered from the car in the next block only to be quickly tracked down by Fort Lauderdale police with BSO assistance.

Smith was out on bond after his domestic violence-battery charge, stemming from an argument he had with his child’s mother over pictures of their kid. The probable cause affidavit says Smith grabbed the woman by the hair with one hand and punched her in the head several times.

Bruce’s previous pending legal problem involves a chain snatch robbery from December 2015 — he’s accused of standing in the victim’s way so the actual snatcher could get a head start on any pursuit.

This story was originally published July 13, 2017 at 12:56 PM with the headline "With theft and domestic violence charges pending, they got cuffed on a carjacking rap."