JACKSONVILE, Fla. – Police say an officer in the right place at the right time was able to arrest a man after an armed carjacking.
The incident occurred about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 1500 block of 11th Street West.
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The victim said that he drove to the home to pick up his child. As he was exiting the home, police said he was holding his child and a car seat.
A witness saw a man, identified by police as 23-year-old Ali Perkins, from the inside of her bedroom. As Perkins approached the victim, police said he began "creeping" up on the victim and pulled his hoodie over his head.
The witness told police she thought this action was strange because of the temperature outside.
As the victim placed the car seat in the beat seat, police said Perkins approached him, pointing a black handgun with an extended magazine at him, yelling, "Give that (expletive) up."
Police said the victim reached into his pockets and pulled out his keys and cash and threw it on the ground.
The witness observed the victim reach into his pockets, while yelling "Don't hurt my baby!" The victim then ran from Perkins, said police.
According to police, an officer was patrolling the area when he was flagged down by a witness, who was waving her arms frantically, yelling that a man was armed and a robbery just took place.
The witness pointed to the victim who was holding his baby standing on the side of the road. Police said the officer immediately turned south and was directed by multiple neighbors to turn on 10th Street to follow the vehicle.
As the officer drove west, police said he observed a blue Ford Crown Victoria parked halfway on the sidewalk crashed into a chain link fence, abandoned with the driver's door open.
As he was driving up on the vehicle, the officer saw Perkins jumping over a 6-foot fence. The officer immediately coordinated with additional units and set up a perimeter, police said.
Police said as he continued driving, the officer observed Perkins, wearing a black hoodie and black pants running. Officers chased him through a residence, many yards, and jumped many fences until they were able to get Perkins in custody.
During a canvass of the area, an officer found Perkins' gun, identified by police as a black Smith and Wesson with a 30-round magazine. The gun was found behind a garage located in the same yard under a bucket.
Further investigation of the gun revealed it was stolen in 2008 during a residential burglary, police said.
Perkins was arrested on charges of armed carjacking and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.