FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Broward County deputies arrested a man suspected of carjacking a woman and taking off with her SUV while her child was still in the back seat; prosecutors said his own mother identified him.
Willio Petioma, 35, of Boca Raton, appeared in court on Monday.
According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at 850 W. Commercial Blvd. in Oakland Park.
They said the victims had been involved in a crash with another car, and when the mother exited to exchange information, Petioma got in the SUV and drove away, dragging the mother as she tried to yell at him that her child was inside.
Detectives later obtained surveillance video of Petioma, deputies said.
“First, (Petioma) is seen exiting the vehicle with the child in the car seat and leaving her (on) a sidewalk. Another moment captures the subject abandoning the vehicle. The final video captures (him) using the victim’s credit card at a Family Dollar store,” a BSO news release states.
Authorities took Petioma into custody on Sunday on charges of kidnapping, carjacking, interfering with custody of a minor and illegal use of a credit card, as well as a Palm Beach County warrant for cocaine possession and resisting arrest.
As of Monday afternoon, he was being held without bond in the BSO Main Jail.