MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A woman is seeking the public’s help after her SUV was stolen and destroyed following a police chase on Interstate 195 in Miami Beach on Saturday.
Glenda Defas told Local 10 News she is devastated after police confirmed 31-year-old Savalas Cigar attacked her and stole her Toyota Rav 4 in broad daylight.
The incident has left her struggling to cope with the damage and the ongoing care of her disabled brother.
“I want people at home to understand that this car means everything to me,” said Defas. “I spent so many years trying to pay for it.”
“He destroyed my life—just a stupid few moments that destroyed somebody else’s life,” Defas added.
According to police, the incident occurred on Saturday when Cigar, who was armed with a hammer, attacked her and stole her SUV.
Defas said she was accompanied by her brother, Martine, who is deaf and disabled.
“So many years...look what he did to me,” she said tearfully.
Defas told Local 10′s Rosh Lowe that her mother’s dying wish was for Glenda to care for her brother, and now she is faced with this devastating situation.
To make matters worse, Defas claims Cigar used her credit cards and showed receipts to Local 10 News as evidence.
Defas is now seeking public assistance to replace her car so she can continue caring for her brother.
“Thank God we are alive,” she said.
FHP troopers made an initial attempt to stop the vehicle using a PIT maneuver at the intersection of Alton Road and West 42nd Street, but the SUV regained traction and continued to speed away, according to an arrest report.
With Cigar driving erratically and showing no signs of stopping, police said FHP troopers executed a second PIT maneuver on the Alton Road ramp leading to the Julia Tuttle Causeway, where the SUV lost control and overturned, coming to a rest on its right side.
As smoke began to billow from the overturned vehicle, FHP troopers and MDPD officers approached the scene and quickly realized that the situation was escalating.
They said flames were seen forming near the front of the SUV, and were concerned that the vehicle could become fully engulfed and become a potential death trap.
Cigar was then transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue with non-life-threatening injuries before being taken into custody.
Jail records show Cigar is facing one count each of grand theft of a vehicle and attempting to flee or elude police officers while causing injury or damage during a crash. He also faces an additional charge of driving without a license.
As of Monday, he is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where his bond was set at $11,000.
Defas’ loved ones have created a GoFundMe account in hopes that the public will help her buy a new vehicle. Click here if you would like to contribute.