Florida Driver Held at Gunpoint Alerted Police by Speeding

A Florida dog breeder who was held hostage at gunpoint in his own car was able to attract police attention by driving over the speed limit.

Per a statement from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, the dog breeder had “boasted” about his wealth online. After making such claims about having lots of cash on hand, three men in their twenties posed as potential customers showed up to his home in Port St. Lucie in an effort to rob, assault, and kidnap him.

The three men first broke into his home on June 16 to search for cash, according the Washington Post. The individuals asked for information regarding where some of his more pedigree dogs were, and he informed them that there were no dogs on the premises. The trio held him at gunpoint and forced him to drive to his aunt’s home in Fort Lauderdale.

On the way there, he started to drive just 15 miles over the speed limit hoping to get pulled over by police. An officer noticed a “look of despair” on the man after he was pulled over, who then used a hand gesture to let them know something was off. The victim proceeded to tell authorities about the whole ordeal, which detectives later verified. Guns, knives, and “large amounts of cash” were recovered from the vehicle.

"The Martin County Sheriff’s Office along with Port St. Lucie Police Department arrested 22-year old Tsdekiel Sellers of Atlanta, 25-year old Benyahveen Radcliffe of Buffalo, and 22-year old Kashaveeyah Bragdon of Tallahassee on multiple charges including kidnapping, carjacking, armed burglary and home invasion after the trio posed as interested dog buyers," reads the Sheriff's Office statement on the incident. "The men claim that they are part of a group called the Israelites, and only wanted to come to Florida to hang out with some 'bitches.' They will now go from the Martin County Jail to the St. Lucie County Jail, then to state Prison."