PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) – A Lauderhill man accused of kidnapping a woman and her two young children from Margate was arrested after leading authorities on a multi-county pursuit that ended in a crash in North Florida, officials said.
According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the ordeal began on March 3 in Margate, where Michael Anthony McNeal, 36, allegedly broke into the victim’s apartment, abducted her and her children, and began driving them to Ocala while threatening to kill her.
Authorities in St. Johns County spotted the stolen vehicle and initiated a pursuit that continued into Putnam County on U.S. 17. At one point, officials said McNeal was driving at speeds of over 130 miles per hour, before ending in a crash on Comfort Road.
McNeal reportedly fled on foot but was quickly captured through a joint effort involving deputies from Putnam and St. Johns counties, Palatka police, and Florida Highway Patrol troopers. Deputies spotted him in a dump truck.
Deputies said the mother had visible injuries from being beaten and choked. She and her children were safely recovered at the crash site.
McNeal was booked into the Putnam County Jail on charges including kidnapping, child neglect without great bodily harm, violation of an injunction for domestic violence and fleeing and eluding law enforcement. His bond was set at $135,500.
Court records show McNeal had a pending domestic violence from last year and that the victim in that case is the same one as in this case.
He had just entered a plea of not guilty when he was re-arrested for this multi-county pursuit.
The Margate Police Department is investigating the kidnapping.
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