A man wanted in connection with a shooting in a Port Charlotte Walmart parking lot was apprehended in North Port early this morning after leading law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit.
Just before 1:00 a.m., Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office STAR (Strategic Targeted Area Response) deputies, acting on a tip, were surveilling the Camilla Lane area for a wanted violent felony suspect identified as 20-year-old Anthony Mojica. Deputies observed Mojica driving a white Nissan Altima.
When a deputy attempted to stop the vehicle by activating his emergency lights, Mojica allegedly swerved into the opposite lane, turned off his headlights, and accelerated at a high rate of speed. A pursuit was initiated, with the North Port Police Department joining as the chase entered their jurisdiction. Speeds exceeded 100 MPH on the mostly deserted streets, with Mojica frequently driving on the wrong side of the road in an attempt to evade capture.
As the pursuit continued onto I-75 Northbound, the Nissan weaved erratically between lanes to prevent law enforcement from executing a PIT (Precision Immobilization Technique) maneuver. At times, speeds reached over 120 MPH on the interstate. Near mile marker 180, stop sticks successfully deployed by NPPD caused the front tire of the Nissan to begin deteriorating, slowing the vehicle to approximately 65 MPH. With the reduced speed and minimal surrounding traffic, a PIT maneuver was then used to bring the vehicle to a stop near mile marker 182.
Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell commended his STAR team and the North Port Police Department, stating, “I want to thank my STAR team and the North Port Police Department for their efforts in taking this violent criminal into custody. Unfortunately, these incidents seem to be coming more prevalent, but your Sheriff’s Office is on it. We will not give up and we will make sure we track down individuals like this and put them where they belong! I am very proud of my staff for their relentless pursuit of these criminals.”
Sheriff Prummell also issued a stern warning: “I warned him that he could not hide from us. If you commit crime in Charlotte County we will find you. We have recently trained members and equipped our vehicles with the ability to PIT. We are tired of criminals fleeing, so this is a warning to all, if you commit crime and run in Charlotte County, given the opportunity, we will put you in the ditch! I want our community to continue to feel safe and they can rest easy knowing that this violent criminal is no longer on the street.”
Upon stopping the Nissan, deputies and North Port officers ordered the occupants to exit the vehicle. Mojica and a juvenile female passenger complied, and Mojica was taken into custody. No other occupants were found, and no injuries were reported. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement discovered a handgun with an extended magazine, a black bag containing suspected narcotics, and additional ammunition.
Mojica is currently being held at the Sarasota County Jail on charges related to the pursuit and will face his Charlotte County charges at a later date.
Video footage of the pursuit and PIT maneuver has been released. The entire pursuit lasted approximately twelve minutes and thirty seconds, with the publicly available video being an abridged version.
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