DORAL, Fla. – A mother and son were arrested Monday after crashing a stolen truck and stealing a woman’s SUV in Doral Monday afternoon, police say.
Brandon Ryan Moats, 23, of Milledgeville, Georgia is facing third-degree felony charges of grand theft, fleeing/eluding police and leaving the scene of an accident.
His mother, Martha Herrera Tapia, 42, of Miami is facing a third-degree felony charge of grand theft.
Police arrested the two in Hialeah.
According to Doral police, an automated license plate reader picked up the stolen blue Ford F-250 as it drove on Northwest 87th Avenue from 12th Street.
According to the arrest report, Moats, who was driving the stolen F-250, continued to travel at a high rate of speed and at one point was travelling in the opposite side of the road into incoming traffic on Northwest 25th Street and 89th Court.
Police said officers tried to stop the vehicle, but the suspects drove off, eventually crashing in the 1800 block of Northwest 82nd Avenue and bailing out of the pickup.
One witness told Local 10 News that one of the suspects exiting the car appeared to have a gun.
“I saw a guy jump out and a couple minutes later we heard gunshots,” he said.
After fleeing on foot witnesses said at least one suspect ran into a nearby parking lot and stole a woman’s white Honda Pilot.
Local 10 News spoke to the victim who said that she was checking the mail when she saw one of the suspects running towards her.
“This guy comes running and my car is there and on with the door closed and (then) he took my car, so I’m very concerned,” she said.
According to the arrest report, Moats was also the driver of the Honda Pilot that was reported stolen.
After the chase ensued, the suspects were later caught after Moats lost control of the vehicle and plowed into a tree directly outside at an Olive Garden restaurant in the 1300 block of West 49th Street in Hialeah.
Authorities said that Moats had a passenger in the car that told police that the SUV was stolen.
After conducting a search of the Honda Pilot, police said they found an iPhone that belonged to the woman that reported the vehicle stolen.
Both Herrera Tapia and Moats were taken into custody without incident and transported to a nearby jail.