Florida man caught after stealing pickup truck with 3-year-old still inside, cops say
After spending four days on the run, a Florida man who stole a pickup truck with a 3-year-old still sitting inside has been caught and put in cuffs, police say.
Freddy Ramirez, 48, is facing charges of carjacking, kidnapping, child neglect, criminal mischief and resisting officers.
On Friday, a woman was pumping gas at a Citgo in Fort Myers when mask-wearing Ramirez grabbed her from behind and forced her to the ground, Fort Myers Police Captain Victor Medico said in a Tuesday press conference.
Ramirez then hopped into her pickup truck and drove off with a 3-year-old still sitting in the back seat. Medico said Ramirez knew the child was back there when he drove off.
After an intensive search, a detective found the truck behind a business less than five minutes up the street from the gas station, Medico said. The child was still in the backseat and unharmed; Ramirez fled.
While driving to an unrelated call on Tuesday, officers saw Ramirez walking on the street. After they chased him down, he was arrested and brought to the local police department.
Police said Ramirez confessed and said not having a job and becoming desperate were part of the reasons he committed the crime.
“One of our main goals here is to keep the community safe and we didn’t know if this guy was going to do it again,” Detective Laynor Rodriguez said. “We try to get these guys as quick as possible, especially when it involves a kid. Most of us are parents too and we make it very personal.”
This story was originally published September 22, 2022 at 5:31 PM.
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