Suspects taken into custody after chase, crash in southwest Miami-Dade

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Two suspects were taken into custody after they used the arm of a tow truck to damage a police cruiser and led officers on a chase in southwest Miami-Dade County, police said.

The crash occurred early Wednesday at Southwest 88th Court and Southwest 36th Street.

Miami-Dade police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta said an officer spotted the suspects hooking up a pickup truck to a tow truck at Southwest 92nd Avenue and Southwest 16th Street. 

"It just seemed odd to the officer," Zabaleta said.

Zabaleta said the suspects fled the scene, leading police on a brief chase. He said they released the Ford F-150 from the tow truck while they were trying to make their getaway.

"What he proceeded to do was to lower the beam ... of the tow truck and then put it in reverse at a high rate of speed, impacting the police car," Zabaleta said.

After the tow truck crashed, the suspects ran away, but police eventually captured them.

The suspects were identified as driver Yariel Rodriguez, 26, and passenger Sergio Aguirre, 32.

"This could have been worse," Zabaleta said. "We could have had a dead officer."

The suspects face multiple charges, including grand theft of a vehicle, attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, burglary, criminal mischief and resisting an officer.