Two men suspected of an armed carjacking in Plant City were apprehended this morning.
According to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reports, at 4:15 a.m. this morning, the two men — identified as Khalil Holt, 29, and Raheim Johnson, 20, both of Lakeland — approached a Dover man and woman pumping gas at a Circle K store at State Road 60 and James L. Redman Parkway, in Plant City. One of the suspects was one armed with a handgun. The suspects stole the victim’s 2006 Chevy Malibu and fired a shot from the vehicle as they were fleeing southbound on State Road 39.
A short time time later, responding deputies searching for the suspects, spotted the stolen vehicle traveling on Lithia Pinecrest Road in the Fishhawk area. The deputy followed the car for a distance allowing additional deputies including HCSO Aviation Unit and a K9 deputy to arrive. Once sufficient deputies had arrived, a vehicle stopped was initiated with a marked patrol car. The suspects refused to pull over, and a pursuit of the stolen vehicle that lasted about 10 minutes began.
The pursuit ended when the driver lost control of the stolen vehicle and flipped over in a ditch on State Road 640, just east of Bonnie Mine Road, in Polk County.
Both suspects exited the vehicle and ran into a wooded area. Neither suspects were injured in the crash and were able to exit the vehicle and flee on foot into a heavily wooded area.
Sheriff’s Office deputies, including a K9 deputy, followed the suspects into the woods and captured both suspects hiding about 1/4 mile from the crash site. EMS treated one suspect at the scene for a minor dog bite to the leg.
Both men have been arrested and charged with armed carjacking and will be booked into the Polk County Jail later this morning.
Deputies have recovered a loaded Kel-Tec 9mm semi-automatic handgun in the stolen vehicle.
There were no other injuries or property damage as a result of this incident.