SWEETWATER, FLA. (WSVN) - A man who, police said, is responsible for sending people, including children, running for safety, fearing they would be shot, faced a judge after his arrest in the mall scare.
On Sunday afternoon, police chased the alleged crook who triggered panic among shoppers at a popular South Florida mall, who feared something much worse had just happened.
“He refused to stop and fled from the officer at a high rate of speed, I guess, in that Dolphin Mall parking lot,” said Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer.
The suspected car thief faced a judge on Monday after chaos in the parking lot almost spilled into the mall.
A shopper sent 7News a video of 42-year-old Joshua Lionel Taylor on the ground being cuffed by officers.
Police arrested him after, they said, he stole a car and then tried to flee from authorities.
“He’s in a stolen car, running from the police, crashing into vehicles,” said a prosecutor.
Police managed to take him down at one of the entrances of the mall, after he bailed out of the vehicle.
“He could have killed someone in that Dolphin Mall parking lot, but he did not,” said Glazer.
“All of a sudden, we just hear people screaming, ‘Get down, get down,'” said Vanessa Fernandez, a shopper. “It was extremely scary.”
“We just see a stampede of people running out of Dolphin Mall,” said a shopper.
The chaos caused people to flee.
A couple who was taking their two young children to a birthday party at an indoor playground in the mall walked in as the chaos began.
“I was with the little one. I grabbed him and ran to the back. I was just ducking down, and then I saw him running. I started yelling, ‘Gaby, we’re back here,'” said Fernandez.
Sweetwater Police rushed to the scene and ultimately said it was a false alarm, but until that was certain rumors spread fast and shoppers ran off just as quick.
Video and photos shared to 7News show what the food court looked like after people rushed out in a panic, food left on the tables and scattered on the ground, chairs seen flipped over.
Shoppers 7News spoke with were just thankful to have made it out safe.
“My heart hurt because I got scared that I’ll get taken,” said Mellisa Gonzalez, a shopper.
“When you’re in that moment, it really feels like it’s happening,” said a man.
“It was really scary, but thank God were OK,” said another shopper.
Taylor’s charges include grand theft, fleeing from police and driving without a license.
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