NORTHPORT, Fla. (WFLA) — Police arrested a man earlier this month who believed he was involved in a shooting in a Walmart parking lot in Port Charlotte, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
On April 13, Charlotte County Councilman responded to reports of several shots fired at Walmart in Murdoch Circle.
After the initial investigation, deputies detained the two on suspicion of roles in the shooting and issued a warrant to a man who said he was responsible for firing the shot.
The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies responded to the Camila Lane area around 1am Thursday after receiving a tip involving the nomination suspect.
On the scene, lawmakers said they found 20-year-old Anthony Mozica driving a white Nissan Altima.
One of the agents said he caught up with the vehicle and turned on the emergency lights. This led the Mojika to swing around towards the opposite lane, turning off the headlights before slowing down.
Deputies continued their pursuit with support from the Northport Police Department.
During the pursuit, Nissan, driven by Mozica, reached speeds of over 120 mph, driving on the other side of the road north of Interstate 75.
According to deputies, Nissan’s front tires began to deteriorate around Mile Marker 180, allowing the NPPD to successfully deploy the stopstick and slow the vehicle down to 65 mph.
Law enforcement then enacted a pit operation that stopped a vehicle near Mile Marker 182.
“I warned him that he cannot hide from us. If you commit a crime in Charlotte County, we can find you recently. We train our members and equipped our cars with the ability to escape. We are tired of running away to criminals, Sheriff Bill Plumel said.
“I want our community to continue to feel safe and they can easily rest by knowing that this violent criminal is no longer on the streets.”
Charlotte County deputies and NNPD officials have ordered Nissan residents to leave the vehicle that Mozica, accompanied by a female juvenile passenger, has been compliant with.
After searching the vehicle, lawmakers had a handgun, a black bag with suspected drugs and additional ammunition inside.
The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office arrests Mozica, who is taken and booked to the Sarasota County Jail, where he is in custody on charges related to the pursuit.
He will also face charges in the Charlotte County shooting.
