Holly MatkinLantana, FL – A Florida carjacker who took off in a vehicle while a six-year-old boy was in the backseat was chased down and shot by the child’s father.
The incident began outside a residence in the 3200-block of Roberts Lane in West Palm Beach at approximately 2:30 a.m. on April 20, WPBF reported.
The six-year-old boy was sitting inside the running vehicle while his father said goodbye to some friends.
That’s when 29-year-old Lamar Thurman jumped into the driver’s seat, according to WPLG.
Thurman sped off with the man’s vehicle, but the boy’s father and friends immediately chased after him and called 911.
The carjacker made his way to Lantana – about five miles away – and ultimately crashed into a metal pole on Loquat Tree Drive, WBPF reported.
The boy’s father and his friends rushed in to pull the child out of the vehicle, but Thurman tried to take off again, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Teri Barbera told WPLG.
“In an attempt to stop him from fleeing further with [the] child in the car,” the man opened fire, striking Thurman several times, Barbera explained.
The suspect only made it about 200 yards before he crashed into several other vehicles, WPBF reported.
The uninjured boy was then rescued from the backseat of the stolen car.
Thurman, who has “no association with the victims,” was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition, Barbera said.
Investigators said that the father’s account of what occurred was corroborated by physical evidence and witness statements, and no charges have been filed against him, WPBF reported.
“The father – it’s understandable how he reacted,” said resident Andre Ingraham, who heard the gunfire. “He probably was hysterical.”
Thurman was already on probation for carjacking an 86-year-old woman when the most recent incident occurred, according to the Associated Press.