Women shot getting out of car at Miami Lakes commercial center

Two women on their way to work at a Miami Lakes commercial center were shot early Tuesday morning as they got out of their car.

The women, who were transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital, were both shot in the lower half of their bodies and were in serious condition but expected to recover. The alleged shooter was caught a short while later after a brief police chase and after crashing his car into a tree.

“They were confronted by him. He’s got a gun and starts shooting,” said Miami-Dade Police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta. “There’s nothing indicating that they knew each other.”

The injured women are Veronica Moss, 54, and Tahkyshia Ross, 21. They work together at a commercial center at Northwest 150th Street and 79th Court. The suspect, Andrew Jarrod Seabrooks, 26, was in custody late Tuesday and being interviewed by police.

A 26-year-old man named Andrew Seabrooks is listed on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement website as a sex offender. According to state records, Seabrooks kidnapped and sexually assaulted a minor in Broward County in 2013. His listing on the registry was entered last month. Police wouldn’t confirm if it was the same person late Tuesday.

According to police, Moss and Ross, who carpool to work, got out of their car at 7:38 a.m. and were approached by Seabrooks as he drove a silver Ford Mustang. Police said Seabrooks fired several rounds from inside his vehicle — two hitting Moss, one hitting Ross — and took off. A witness called 911 and gave a description of the vehicle.

Police said they soon found Seabrooks driving well over the speed limit, going east on Miami Lakes Drive at Northwest 67th Avenue. Seabrooks crashed his car into a tree at 59th Court. He took off, but was caught by police.

Moss told WSVN Channel 7 that she has no idea who Seabrooks is, or why he attacked the women.

“Basically, we had just got out the car at work and a car drove up. The gentleman stuck the gun out the window and started shooting at my co-worker,” she said. “Then he started to leave, he backed up and shot at me and then he left.”

This story was originally published September 1, 2015 at 2:48 PM with the headline "Women shot getting out of car at Miami Lakes commercial center."