Women Arrested For Opa Locka Police Chase Appear In Bond Court
OPA LOCKA (CBSMiami) -- Two women appeared in bond court Saturday after being arrested for a police chase through Opa-Locka, Northwest Miami-Dade County, and the city of Miami on Thursday.
Natalie Pettit, 25, is accused of driving the car and Lekeisha Jean ,27, was allegedly a passenger. The two were taken into custody when the chase ended near the corner of NW 45th Street and NW 15th Avenue in Miami.
Saturday night, the two women had not been released from the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
According to Opa-Locka Police, the chase started at a Wells Fargo at the corner of NW 131st Street and NW 27th Avenue.
According to arresting documents, the women pulled up to the drive-through of the bank Thursday afternoon and tried to get cash using stolen check and someone else's ID. When the bank called police, the alleged driver of the car, Natalie Pettit, is accused of trying to hit a police officer's car as she took off leading police on a chase.
"I seen a white car just driving away from the cops like ten cop cars just chasing them it was just crazy," said Sam Natour who works across the street from the bank.
The chase began in Opa-Locka and continued for at least 20 minutes. The car was essentially driving in circles throughout much of the chase. At some point, the Audi appeared to hit something that started smoke coming from the undercarriage of the car . The chase ended shortly after that and a small fire broke out underneath the car.
"We heard a lot of choppers up top and a lot of sirens going off," said Alvin Herring, who lives in the neighborhood.
Miami-Dade Police, along with Opa-Locka Police, moved in with guns drawn.
Clifton Askew explained, "Police surrounded the car they grabbed both of the women out of the car and placed them into the police cars."
Petit and Jean both face fraud charges and Pettit also faces several additional charges in connection with the chase.
In court a lawyer representing both women told the judge there was no organized fraud scheme.
"It's just one check. There is no organized schematic scheme to defraud," J.C. Dugue told a judge.
Dugue said both women were expected to be out of jail this weekend.
