INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A man was car-jacked at Szechuan Palace south of State Road 60 on 43rd Avenue Wednesday evening while his wife entered the restaurant to pick-up their order.
Wednesday, June 10th, the couple traveled to Szechuan Palace restaurant, 1965 43rd Avenue, in Vero Beach, to pick up a take-out order, according to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. As the woman entered the restaurant, two black male subjects approached the husband in the waiting vehicle. They produced a gun and demanded his vehicle.
At 9:06 p.m. the Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 call regarding the armed carjacking. Deputies immediately responded to the scene and issued a Be On the Look Out (BOLO) for the couple’s vehicle.
Within 10 minutes, the vehicle was spotted by a Sheriff’s deputy in the 1400 block of 16th Avenue, according to authorities. As he turned around to approach the vehicle, it traveled east on 14th Street where the two occupants jumped out of the moving vehicle.
The deputy observed one of the black male subjects produce a handgun and fire three rounds in the direction of his moving patrol car. The deputy took a position of cover and began calling for other units.
The stolen vehicle struck a nearby tree on the property of a residence. The deputy was not in a position to return fire.
Spent shell casings were located at the scene along with other evidence that will lead today’s investigation.
“We are glad none of our deputies were hurt last night trying to apprehend these dangerous men,” said Indian River County Sheriff Deryl Loar. “Today we will focus our efforts on identifying them and putting them behind bars. Our team of patrol, canine, and aviation, in concert with the Vero Beach Police Department worked tirelessly to provide the best possible search for these two men and to be sure that they were no longer an immediate threat to the residents of that area.”
The suspects are described only as being younger black males last seen wearing long shorts and dark hoodies, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Crime scene detectives will process the stolen vehicle today along with other forensic evidence recovered at the scene.
Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-800- 273- TIPS (8477). You can remain anonymous and possibly be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers can also be found online at www.tcwatch.org.
