MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami Gardens police identified two men in connection with an alleged kidnapping and high-speed U-Haul chase that they said spanned from Miami-Dade to Broward County on Monday.
Authorities said officers with the Miami Gardens Police Department were dispatched around 8:35 a.m. to the area of Northwest 27th Avenue and Northwest 207th Street following an anonymous call reporting that a male had put a female into a U-Haul van.
The caller provided a description of the vehicle and its license plate and said it was last seen at the Lake House Apartments complex.
Responding units spotted a vehicle matching the description traveling north on Northwest 27th Avenue before turning onto Northwest 215th Street.
Police said they tried to pull over the van, but the driver, identified as 39-year-old Joe Willie McKenzie, refused to stop, leading to a chase into Miramar, Pembroke Pines and unincorporated Broward County.
They said McKenzie reached speeds estimated at more than 100 mph, ran red lights, and drove against traffic through residential and commercial areas.
At one point, police said the rear sliding door of the van appeared to open while the vehicle was moving, suggesting the woman was attempting to escape.
Authorities said McKenzie continued to operate the vehicle recklessly, endangering both the occupants and the public.
The van finally came to a stop in the 2700 block of Northwest 207th Street, where both McKenzie and the front-seat passenger, 35-year-old Brandon Lawrence Spivey, abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot, investigators said.
They said during a foot pursuit, Spivey ran into a marked patrol vehicle, causing minor damage, and was immediately taken into custody, authorities said.
They said McKenzie initially refused to exit a nearby residence but surrendered after MGPD’s K-9 unit was deployed.
Investigators confirmed that woman was recovered safely and transported to a local hospital for evaluation. They said she sustained back injuries during the incident but was reported to be in stable condition.
According to jail records, McKenzie is facing charges including fleeing or eluding police at high speed, false imprisonment, resisting an officer without violence, knowingly driving with a suspended license and reckless driving causing damage to property or a person.
Records show Spivey is facing one count each of false imprisonment, resisting an officer without violence and criminal mischief.
As of Tuesday, both men were being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. McKenzie’s bond is listed as “to be set,” while Spivey is being held on a $1,500 bond.
Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
