Two arrested after armed chase on Palmetto Expressway, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office says
Two men were arrested after a Miami-Dade deputy watched them chase another man on the Palmetto Expressway while armed with a high-capacity rifle Monday, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The deputy, a major in the department, was driving an unmarked car eastbound on State Road 826 near NW 27th Avenue around 10:30 a.m. when he saw a Dodge Charger pull along side of a Chevrolet Malibu, according to an arrest report released by the sheriff’s office.
A man in the back right seat of the Charger pointed a rifle out of the window at the Malibu, the report states. He was motioning with the weapon in an attempt to get the Chevy’s driver to pull over, the report states.
The man, later identified as 19-year-old Junior Jean Noel, pulled the gun back inside the car. That’s when he and the driver, Wentz Cesly Toussaint, 20, continued chasing the Malibu, per the report.
The deputy watched as both cars erratically weaved in and out of traffic while the pursuit continued on the Palmetto, the report states.
Deputies caught up to both cars when they entered a BP gas station at 1201 NW 167th Street in Miami Gardens, according to the report.
Deputies arrested Jean Noel and Toussaint. They also took the driver of the Malibu, identified in the report as Kevin Duglas, into custody though he was not arrested, said Miami-Dade Detective Luis Sierra, a department spokesman.
Deputies obtained a warrant for the Charger and found a purple semi-automatic rifle with a high-capacity drum magazine loaded with 57 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition, according to the report. They also found two 9 mm pistols, two cell phones, $150 in cash and 224 grams of marijuana, Sierra said.
A photo of the evidence released by the sheriff’s office showed the marijuana was in dozens of packages with different art work on them, including an illustration depicting the aftermath of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in July.
The Trump weed packets have the words, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” on them, which is what Trump chanted after being grazed in the ear by the would-be assassin’s bullet that day.
Jean Noel, from North Miami Beach, was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on Tuesday afternoon on a charge of aggravated assault with a firearm.
Toussaint, from Miami, was booked at the same facility on a charge of accessory after the fact. Both men’s bail was set at $5,000 and they have since been released.
This story was originally published February 4, 2025 at 3:43 PM.
