Crime & Safety
Suspect Steals Car, Carjacks 2nd Vehicle, Leads Chase: Police
A suspect accused of stealing a car in Pasco County was eventually stopped in St. Petersburg by police and a crash into a power pole.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A man accused of stealing a vehicle in Pasco County faces several criminal charges after police said he stole an SUV and a pickup truck, tried to carjack another vehicle, crashed into several vehicles and led police on a chase.
It all began when Amer Nuhanovic, 30, with no known address, drove into St. Petersburg Tuesday morning, and fell asleep at a gas station, St. Petersburg police said.
A person told police at 2:43 a.m. on Tuesday that a man had been asleep in a white Suburban at a gas pump for over an hour at Speedway, 3225 34th Street North. When officers ran the tag, they found out it was stolen from Pasco County. Detectives tried to get the suspect, Nuhanovic, out of the car after they placed stop sticks in front of the car.
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Nuhanovic drove over the stop sticks, and with a disabled tire left the vehicle at 22nd Avenue North and 28th Street N, according to investigators. Police were informed about a reckless driver in a Dodge Ram truck at 83rd Avenue N and MLK St. N. An officer later saw the Dodge Ram driving recklessly on 62nd Avenue North and Fourth Street North. Stop sticks were placed on the road, and this disabled some of the tires, detectives said.
Nuhanovic was seen blocking a vehicle and then trying to carjack it at Fifth Avenue North and 16th Street North, according to investigators. He couldn't get the doors open, and tried to open the doors of three other cars, but couldn't open those either.
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The suspect got back into the Dodge and drove the wrong way on Fifth Avenue North, police said.
According to law enforcement officials, he intentionally crashed into the side of multiple vehicles. A police pursuit then occurred, and officers blocked his path. He crashed into a power pole at Fifth Avenue North and 24th Street North.
Nuhanovic ran from police, but a K9 caught him and he was arrested on the following charges, according to the St. Petersburg Police Department:
- Auto theft
- Fleeing and eluding
- Resisting an officer without violence
- Burglary of a residential occupied structure
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