A Martin County sheriff’s K-9 helped catch a 33-year-old man from Colombia who was on the run and the subject of a multiagency manhunt in Palm City, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The incident began after a trooper conducted a traffic stop on a blue Chevrolet Traverse SUV about 3:50 p.m. April 23 on northbound Interstate 95 and mile marker 113, which is about 3 miles north of the Martin Highway exit and 1 mile south of the Becker Road exit in Port St. Lucie.
The traffic stop was because the SUV’s tag wasn’t assigned to that vehicle, according to a news release from the agency.
The vehicle didn’t have an active registration, according to FHP, and the vehicle’s driver, Jaime Alberto Silvabernal, doesn’t have legal status in the United States, according to the news release.
When the trooper asked Silvabernal to step out of the vehicle, he initially complied, according to FHP. However, when the trooper put one handcuff on his left wrist, Silvabernal didn’t follow the trooper’s directions, and there was a struggle. He was able to escape and began to run south in the northbound lanes while traffic was oncoming.
Officials from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Port St. Lucie Police Department and St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office helped FHP troopers set up a perimeter from mile marker 114 south to mile marker 110, which is Martin Highway, according to the release.
Martin County sheriff’s K-9 units tracked Silvabernal south to the east side of the fence that separates I-95 and residential areas bordering the highway, according to the release. He was located in the bushes and refused orders to surrender.
A sheriff’s K-9 was deployed and bit Silvabernal’s left arm. He then was taken into custody and treated for his minor injuries.
No law enforcement officials or K-9s were injured during the incident, FHP officials said in the news release.
After he’s medically cleared, Silvabernal will be booked into the Martin County Jail on multiple charges, according to FHP. As of April 24, he had not been booked into the jail, according to a jail official.
FHP has not responded to a request for more information, including why the trooper initially researched the tag number, whether Silvabernal is medically cleared or what charges he is facing.
Laurie K. Blandford is a breaking news reporter with TCPalm. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida sheriff’s K-9 catches Palm City manhunt suspect from Colombia
Reporting by Laurie K. Blandford, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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