What are you doing? >> 580. My car was stolen. Track my car. Get the ground. Get on the ground. >> On the night of May 13th, 2023, police in Winter Haven, Florida, responded to a 911 call from the employees at a local AMScott, reporting that a man threw a rock through their window, then entered the business and threw another rock at the teller's glass, which thankfully didn't shatter. Officers arriving on scene thought the suspect [music] had already escaped. But as it turns out, he was closer than they ever could have imagined. >> All right. What happened tonight? Okay. Um, I was doing my closing procedures out in the lobby and I was finishing mopping and um, as I was leaving, I heard a knock on the door and usually customers do that and then they realize they're closed and they usually walk away. But then he aggressively knocked and I vested out to me because usually I don't have that happen. So, I entered and I let my um leader know that, you know, this guy was knocking aggressively and then I was going on about my closing procedures and I dumped out my mop bucket and then I heard my leader yell out of nowhere and then I come out and I'm confused and then I just see a random customer come in and I'm thinking like, oh, he like, you know, got the door open, but I didn't see the glass or and I didn't hear the glass either. I was pouring my bucket out and then I left one of our doors unlocked. So I ran to lock that one real quick and then um we stood down and um he threw the rock at um our window 11 and then we ducked down and called 911. >> Do you know what the subject looked like? >> Um he was he was a black male um around 5'9 5'11 around that area. Weighed about 180 lbs. Um, he had a gray t-shirt on. I couldn't see the bottom half of his body, but I think he was wearing like sweats or something. >> Okay. How did he uh leave? >> He um or exit the building. >> Um I don't I didn't see that part because I locked the door and then I just saw him leave and then I ducked down. So, I didn't know where he left, but he looked crazy. >> So, black male, gray t-shirt, possibly black shorts. He leave on foot. >> Um yeah, he had to. He looked like he was on drugs. >> Okay, but he went this way. >> Like he went that way, huh? >> What are you doing? >> While the officer was gathering statements from employees, an unknown figure suddenly appeared just outside the store. But before the officer could respond, what happened next was nothing short of unthinkable. I don't know. 580. My car was stolen. Track my car. Tell us where it's at. Get down. Get on the ground. >> Turn over. Turn over. >> Turn over. >> Go get my dogs. I'm going to go to my car right now. Logan, I can't get in there. Whiskey 706. We've got a lot of single fours. pretty. He's so conqueror. We got him. We got him. After racing to put an end to the carnage caused by the unknown man, later identified as the suspect in this case, 20-year-old Menelique Jarrett, who left behind not just broken windows, but an absolute disaster of a crime scene. With police facing enough chaos already, nearby bystanders step in to give their two cents on the situation. >> You can watch all you want, ma'am. >> Nobody hit him, ma'am. Thank you very much. >> It don't matter. right here. >> No, not yet. You get a mess up. All right, take a seat. Watch your hand. Watch your hands. Okay, watch your hands. Roll the window up. Throw the window down. >> Lego, man. Move your Lego. There you go. Right there. >> Cracked. >> Yeah, I saw this. This is what I saw cuz it was cracked. That's why he pushed it. He hit it and it >> Yeah. Once police were certain the scene was secure, with the suspect now detained in a squad car, their attention quickly shifts to tending to the innocent victims who were left to deal with the horrific [music] aftershock of this situation. >> Are you okay? What's wrong? What hurts? >> Nothing. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Deep breath in. >> I'm sorry. I'm I'm an EMT myself. >> You're okay. >> Did someone steal your car? >> Don't mind, bud. >> So, >> escape the out of me. >> Are you okay? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> My door My door was unlocked. It was cracked open. He pushed it open clearly where he cracked the window and then reached in and cuz it was it wasn't locked. It was It was locked. >> How many do you have involved in the crash? I know we have three. >> Two here. Five. >> Five. So, just collecting that info. Can you collect from these folks? There's a witness in the Jeep. Yes. >> Hey, hey, HEY. >> Got my pants back. >> YEP. My husband. >> All right. Hi, husband. I'm officer Pigeon. What's your name? >> 911's on the phone. >> 911. Oh, sorry. >> They called me cuz I I Hey, look at me. Deep breath. Deep breath in through your nose. out through the mouth. >> What are they saying? Can you tell me what they're saying? >> Uh, she just asked if you guys with me. >> Yes, ma'am. Officer Pigeon's here. >> I'll put it on speaker. >> Okay. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> All right. And husband's on the phone. >> Yeah. >> All right. >> Are you injured anyway? >> Hi, this is Officer Pigeon. I'm here with your wife. >> Yes. >> Yes. She's She's good. She's breathing. She's just a little worked up and we've got her. >> So, what happened? I hear sirens, but I was just sitting at the stop or the stoplight and then next thing I know, I just get hit like full on hit by a police car, but it was the guy who stole the cop car. >> Is it your left hand or your right hand? >> It's my left hand. I'm loose and ready. >> Face the car. So, so >> once proper care was provided to the victims, police finally caught a break to learn key facts about the case. When a witness drove herself to the police station to inform detectives about what she witnessed from the very beginning of this devastating night. >> All right, Miss Clifton, what happened tonight? >> Uh, I was facing towards like the racetrack. Um, I was front car in the in the line, heard sirens, saw saw another patrol car come through. In my head, I was like looking to see where the patrol cars were turning. >> I looked back and just saw that they were going straight. Next thing I know, I hear sirens. I look up in my re mirror and I see the the flashing lights and I look and I just see a patrol car boom boom boom like plowing through cars and I'm like, "Oh my god, that's a police car." And it kept going. Mhm. >> Um, as but as soon as I like saw the patrol car, I moved my car forward as not to get hit by the guy behind me. Um, and I looked in my my side mirror and saw the patrol car like still moving and you could see the smoke from the tires and I rolled down my window and I could hear like the other like like screeching sound. >> At that point, you could still hear the patrol car like crashing and you know, I looked to my left and he's still crashing into the cars. Um, and then just saw him turn going to the left, hit the curb, saw like a spark, it stopped, and in my mind I'm thinking, "Oh my god, an officer like maybe had a heart attack or something like that." So, I pull around and I'm facing a few feet back behind it. Um, I go to get out of my car and then I'm still hearing sirens coming towards me and I'm like looking around. Next thing I know, I see the black male get out of the car, walk over to a patrol car, open tried to open the passenger door. Then he went back around, got onto the sidewalk. Um, I just remember at that point looking at him and then seeing, you know, all law enforcement descending on him and and I was like, he was looking for another car to steal. >> The victim struck by the stolen police car was promptly taken to Winter Haven Health to be treated for minor injuries. I'm happy to report that she made a full recovery. As for the suspect, Menelch Jarrett, he was also treated at the hospital before being booked into the Pulk County Jail facing felony counts of burglary of a structure causing more than $1,000 in damages. Attempted burglary of a conveyance without causing injury. Burglary of a conveyance without causing injury, grand theft of a motor vehicle, reckless driving causing injury and property damage, and resisting arrest without violence. Jarrett also faces misdemeanor charges for leaving the scene of an accident and knowingly driving while his license is suspended. Manulec entered a no contest plea on all charges, but was adjudicated guilty on all counts and was sentenced to 14 12 years imprisonment followed by 7 years of probation. He was also ordered to pay $1,274 in court fees.