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Police: Man Carjacks Minutes After Jail Release
Investigators said Deputy Tonjali Frost, 37, her bail-bondsman husband and her 4-year-old son were at a RaceTrac gas station across the street from the Orange County Jail near John Young Parkway Monday night putting gas in both of their cars.
Police said when Frost's husband ran into the station to pay for gas, Jerome Nez jumped into the couple's white Jeep sport utility vehicle and drove off with the family's 4-year-old still in the vehicle.
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The child somehow managed to exit the vehicle by either jumping or being pushed out near the gas station, Local 6 News reported.
When the child was out of vehicle, Frost and her husband opened fire at the fleeing SUV, Local 6 News reported.
Blocks away, Nez crashed into another vehicle and was taken into custody after a search of a nearby subdivison.
"Everybody is OK, but since it is a deputy who is involved and we have shots fired, we have to do a full-blown investigation," Orange County Sheriff's spokeswoman Crystal Candy said. Nez is charged with grand theft auto and burglary in connection with the incident.
After an investigation, detectives learned that just weeks ago, Nez was accused of carjacking a man outside a Mobil gas station near Apopka, Fla. However, the victim could not be reached or chose not to cooperate, according to prosecutors. So, the state attorney's office dropped the charges against Nez.
"After being released from jail, Nez may not have had a ride home so investigators said he simply carjacked the deputy's vehicle," Local 6 reported Mike DeForest said. Frost is on routine administrative leave for the investigation.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.