MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Police released dashcam video Thursday showing the moments that officers responded to the theft and destruction of a woman’s SUV following a police chase on Interstate 195 in Miami Beach on Sunday.
Authorities said the incident occurred when the Miami-Dade Police Department requested assistance from the Florida Highway Patrol to stop a stolen black Toyota Rav 4 that had been spotted near State Road 112 and Northwest 12th Avenue just after 7:30 p.m.
That’s when police said a chase ensued after Savalas Cigar, 31, attempted to flee southbound on Alton Road.
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, dashcam video shows FHP troopers executing 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.
Glenda Defas told Local 10 News on Wednesday she is devastated after police confirmed Cigar, who was armed with a hammer at the time of the incident, attacked her and then stole and crashed her SUV.
The destruction of Defas’ SUV 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.
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 Defas 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.
Cigar was 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 Thursday, he remains 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.