Ex-Con Charged With Murder In Fatal Wreck
Armed Carjacking Suspect Led Police On Chase
POSTED: Tuesday, January 13, 2009
UPDATED: 3:57 pm EST January 13,
2009
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A 24-year-old woman was killed Monday afternoon during a high-speed police chase of a stolen van through rush-hour traffic through the Southside.
Officers responding to a report of an armed robbery and carjacking at a gas station on Beach Boulevard about 4 p.m. put out a description of the stolen vehicle. When police spotted the vehicle on Baymeadows Road, a pursuit began that continued on Southside Boulevard and Deerwood Park Boulevard.
Shortly after getting a description of the stolen vehicle, police spotted the SUV and began to pursue the suspect on Baymeadows Road at speeds of up to 100 mph. The chase led officers to Southside Boulevard, and then east onto Deerwood Park Boulevard.
"There were blue lights and sirens with several JSO units trying to stop the armed robbery suspect. Stop sticks were deployed in an effort to stop the fleeing suspect vehicle. The suspect managed to avoid the stop sticks and continued to drive in an erratic manner and high rate of speed on Deerwood Park," Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Chief Rick Graham said.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Santeris McKinney, 25, lost control of the van on a curve and struck an oncoming car head-on about 4:30 p.m. Troopers said McKinney received a minor injury, but the other driver -- Amanda Rengifo -- was pronounced dead at the scene.
No officers were injured in the chase.
McKinney was treated at Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center. As of midday Tuesday, he was still in the hospital, but absentee-booked at Duval County jail on charges of carjacking, murder, vehicular homicide, possession of cocaine and marijuana, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer and driving on a suspended driver's license.
According to the Florida Department of Corrections' Web site, McKinney was released from prison in July 2007 after a conviction for cocaine possession. Channel 4 has learned he has been in jail 190 days since then on various charges -- including battery on a law enforcement officer.
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