A Florida man was arrested Monday after he carjacked a Good Samaritan at gunpoint then later fled police through the mangroves of the Halifax River.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office reported that a victim encountered a man, identified as 34-year-old Grant Hagood-James, who requested a ride in Daytona Beach Shores. Once inside the vehicle, the suspect brandished a gun and demanded the victim to exit before driving away.
Subsequently, Hagood-James was seen swimming to the deck of a restaurant in Port Orange. He ran through the premises and removed his shirt along the way. Afterward, he leaped back into the river and concealed himself among the mangroves.
Deputies deployed a helicopter, dogs, drones, boats, and crews from three other agencies in their search for the suspect.
The victim of the carjacking was not injured, and police later found his vehicle abandoned in a yard in Port Orange. A gun was found nearby.
Hagood-James was booked on a charge of armed carjacking and was being held without bond.
