Mother’s panic captured in 911 call after man stole car with toddler inside; suspect arrested

Officers arrest man, 19, for auto theft in Fort Lauderdale

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A 911 call police released on Tuesday captured a mother’s panic after a man stole her car — with her 2-year-old daughter inside — in Broward County.

Surveillance video at a Chevron gas station in Fort Lauderdale shows the carjacker was wearing a blue Charlotte Hornets basketball jersey when he drove away in her Honda Accord.

“Oh my God! I can’t believe this happened to me,” the mother told the 911 dispatcher.

The mother left the parked car running at 1095 W. Sunrise Blvd., police said. She ran to stop the carjacker and he nearly ran her over. Demerian Hudson saw her in distress and was quick to help chase the man, who detectives later identified as Lavincent Fisher. Hudson said the chase was short. The carjacker stopped at a dead-end.

“I found my car! I found my car! He ran! He ran,” the girl’s mother told the 911 dispatcher.

Officers arrested Lavincent Fisher, 19, on Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale. (FLPD)

Hudson said the little girl was not injured during the chase, but she was scared.

“The car seat was flipped over; the baby was under the car seat crying,” Hudson said.

Officers searched for the suspect, but he got away. A resident’s Ring surveillance video shows a man who fits the description of the carjacker. He stood in front of an apartment and knocked. He turned the doorknob to check if the door was not locked. A woman opened the door and the man said he needed help.

“Someone was trying to rob me,” he said.

The woman quickly closed the door. She said he tried to get into her apartment through the back door, gave up, and left.

Detectives identified the suspect as Fisher, 19, and arrested him on Tuesday near the intersection of Northwest 13th Avenue and Northwest Sixth Street, south of the Chevron gas station.

Fisher arrived at Broward County’s main jail on Tuesday afternoon and he is facing an auto theft charge.

Watch the raw video


About the Authors:

Sanela Sabovic joined Local 10 News in September 2012 as an assignment editor and associate producer. In August 2015, she became a full-time reporter and fill-in traffic reporter. Sanela holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications with a concentration in radio, television and film from DePaul University.

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.