MIAMI — New details were revealed Thursday after two people wanted in connection with a Palm Beach County shooting were arrested in Miami following a police chase that led to a rollover crash involving several vehicles.
The City of Miami Police Department said that Ariane Rodriguez of Lake Worth, 31, and Johnathan Lozano of West Palm Beach, 34, were the woman and man they took into custody following Wednesday’s incident.
While Lozano was charged with resisting an officer, Rodriguez faced several charges, including two counts of aggravated battery against a police officer, reckless driving, fleeing and eluding police at high speed, and driving with a suspended license.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to CBS News Miami that the car Rodriguez and Lozano were driving was connected to the shooting in their jurisdiction; however, it was not confirmed that they were involved in the shooting.
A shooting investigation led Miami police on a chase
While working an unrelated case, Miami police detectives were told that a white Audi Q5 used in a shooting out of Palm Beach County was seen in the city.
The shooting happened on Tuesday by “a male offender and female offender,” the arrest affidavits stated. While searching for the car, one of the detectives saw the Audi driving westbound NE 79th St. 10th Ave. Another detective then noticed Rodriguez was driving while Lozano was in the passenger seat, matching the information they received.
The detectives then tried to stop the Audi at NE 79th St. 10th Ave. in their unmarked police cars, which had their emergency lights and sirens on, the affidavits stated. However, Rodriguez ignored the stop by “rapidly accelerating” her Audi, striking one of the police cars and fleeing the scene by making an abrupt turn onto southbound 10th Avenue, leading police on a chase.
Her Audi then turned eastbound on Little River Drive, going against traffic and passing another vehicle on the two-lane road, causing it to make an abrupt stop to avoid a collision, before turning westbound on 79th St. Dunham Blvd. and blowing through a stop sign, causing multiple vehicles to suddenly brake to avoid crashing.
Chase ends in rollover crash in Miami
Rodriguez’s Audi then turned north on Biscayne Boulevard from 79th Street, failing to stop at a steady red light. It was then that police tried to stop Rodriguez again but a “subsequent traffic collision” happened, leading to one of the unmarked police cars to roll over on its side. The officer involved was transported to the hospital to be treated for his injuries.
Her Audi continued to rapidly drive into the front of one of the other police cars as it went head-on to avoid further endangering the public, the affidavits stated. Lozano then exited the Audi through the front passenger window and laid on his stomach with his hands underneath, tightening his body to avoid getting handcuffed by police. After a brief struggle, he and Rodriguez were taken into custody.
While conducting a records check, police learned that Rodriguez was driving with a suspended license.