Florida man's injurious day-long crime spree ends with failed carjacking at Starbucks drive-thru, police say
Bodycam: Man tries to carjack woman at Starbucks
A suspect wanted for breaking into a woman's home and stealing her car tried to carjack another driver in a Starbucks drive-thru, according to Ocala Police Department. Two good Samaritans stepped in to help slow down the suspect, police said. Ocala police released dashcam and bodycam from the incident.
OCALA, Fla. - A Florida man who was recently released from prison was arrested after he broke into a woman's home, stole her car, crashed it, and attempted to carjack a woman at a Starbucks drive-thru, police said.
The crime spree began in the early morning hours of Oct. 24. Police said 39-year-old Michael Prouty attempted to rob a 7/11 store in Ocala.
Sometime later he forced himself into a woman's home in The Villages and stole her purse, cell phone, and car from her garage. Prouty was spotted that same day driving the stolen car in Ocala.
An officer initiated a traffic stop, but Prouty fled and crashed into multiple cars at the intersection of North Pine Avenue and SR 40. Several people were injured in the crash, police said.
Video shows at least five to six cars damaged near the intersection where the crash happened.
As he ran from the crash, a man heroically grabbed Prouty who eventually broke free before making his way to a Starbucks.
Dashcam video also shows Prouty allegedly attempting to carjack a woman while she was in the Starbucks drive-thru.
A second heroic man can be seen in the video jumping out of the passenger side of a car and hopping into the woman's car. Prouty then jumps out and makes a run for it.
After being chased momentarily by the heroic man and police officers, Prouty was taken into custody.
He was taken to the Marion County Jail where he faces multiple charges including fleeing and eluding, attempted carjacking, and others.
According to police, in 2017, Prouty was sent to prison for six years on burglary and robbery charges. He was released in July 2022 on a community release program but was sent back to prison for felony crimes he committed in Miami-Dade County.
Prouty was sent to prison again to finish his initial sentence and was released in February 2023 before bonding out of jail in March 2023 for the crimes he committed in Miami-Dade County.