FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A 21-year-old man was arrested early Wednesday morning after crashing a stolen Rolls Royce SUV into a Checkers fast food restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, authorities confirmed to Local 10 News.
According to Detective Ali Adamson, officers responded to the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, located at 505 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., at about 2:15 a.m. after receiving a report about a stolen vehicle.
Noon report:
The victim told Local 10′s Roy Ramos that he woke up to find that his $400,000 SUV had been stolen.
“I was told that my car was stolen from the valet and that the vehicle was smashed into a Checkers,” the victim said.
Adamson said the luxury vehicle was spotted by officers prior to the crash, heading west on West Broward Boulevard.
According to Adamson, the driver, later identified as Malik Patterson, saw the officers and fled before crashing into a Checkers located at 2701 W. Broward Blvd.
Adamson said officers were not chasing or pursuing the vehicle prior to the crash.
She said Patterson bailed out of the car after the crash, but was found a short time later by officers.
“I am definitely not shocked,” the victim said. “It is a Rolls Royce and people like to steal things and had a little bit of a joy ride.”
Patterson was arrested on charges of grand theft auto, resisting an officer without violence, fleeing and eluding police, leaving the scene of a crash resulting in property damage and felony probation violation.
“This joy ride ended up not too fun for this person because he is locked up and the car is totaled,” the victim said.
Adamson said no one was injured in or around the building as a result of the crash.
A building inspector responded to the scene after the crash.
Records show Patterson has existing arrest warrants out of Broward County and Placer County, California.