A Leesburg man was arrested for carjacking after he and a partner allegedly attacked a driver and stole his vehicle.
An officer responded to a carjacking near 2700 Laurel Hollow Drive around 3:55 p.m. Wednesday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
The officer arrived on scene and made contact with the victim, who advised that three male subjects, one of which was later identified as 22-year-old Kareim Amir Jabar Kamau, had beaten him up and stolen his black Chevy utility vehicle. One of the individuals had a firearm during the altercation, and the victim was able to get to the magazine and drop it to the ground. One shot was discharged from the firearm, but he did not state if the gun was pointed at him, the report said.
The victim had multiple lacerations and scrapes covering his arms, head and legs. He appeared to have been in a physical altercation, and the officer was able to observe fresh blood coming from the victim’s injuries. The officer requested Lake County EMS and put out a local “be on the lookout” for the victim’s vehicle, which still had his phone inside when it was stolen. The victim was ultimately transferred to the care of Lake County Fire and Rescue, the report said.
The officer was able to review the security footage from the back parking lot where the incident occurred. In the footage, a red Toyota Camry was seen backing into a parking spot. The victim’s vehicle was directly beside it also backing into a parking spot, the report said.
Two subjects got out of the red vehicle, one from the driver’s side and one from the passenger’s side. The passenger and driver were seen walking behind the vehicles, and they met with the victim between the vehicles. The driver and the victim speak briefly in the center of the vehicles, the report said.
The video stopped recording due to no movement captured, then began recording again due to an altercation at the victim’s vehicle at the driver’s side door. The driver entered the victim’s vehicle through the driver’s door, and the passenger entered the driver’s door of the Camry. Both then left the area, driving away in both vehicles. The victim was seen waving his hands as the subjects fled the area, the report said.
The Leesburg Communications Center found prior contact history with the Camry and relayed it to the officer. The contact showed history around 2113 Parkview Avenue. So, the officer arrived in the area and began searching for the suspect vehicle, the report said.
While in the area of Parkview Avenue, the officer observed a red Toyota Camry entering the neighborhood. He got behind the vehicle and verified if the tag matched the suspect vehicle, which it did. He notified dispatch of his location and initiated an investigative traffic stop on the vehicle in relation to the incident, the report said.
One suspect exited the right rear passenger seat and fled on foot. The driver, identified as Kamau, got out and was secured in handcuffs before being placed in the rear of a patrol vehicle. Another passenger was in the front right seat, and he was ordered to place his hands on the dashboard to be handcuffed. Both were searched, and the passenger was secured in a separate patrol vehicle, the report said.
During the search of Kamau, the officer found the victim’s license in his right rear pocket. The report noted that the clothing description of both Kamau and the passenger matched the clothing description of the suspects shown in the security camera recordings. A plain view check around the exterior of the vehicle revealed a black magazine with ammunition in the right rear floorboard.
Detectives then arrived on scene and instructed the officer to take both subjects to LPD for processing. Kamau was taken to the Adult Booking Room while the other suspect was taken to the Juvenile Booking Room. Meanwhile, a detective met with the victim at the hospital and spoke to him about the incident, the report said.
The victim advised he was invited to the location by two subjects he met earlier through Instagram. He met with them earlier at his father’s house in Clermont. The two subjects arrived in a red Toyota Camry sedan. After hanging out for a while, the subjects invited him to go to Leesburg to hand out with them at their residence, the report said.
The victim was sitting in his vehicle in the driver’s seat with the door ajar when Kamau approached him, aimed a firearm at him and told him to give him his chain and everything. He handed them everything, including his keys, and he tried to reach for his cell phone to call for help. Kamau told him to give him that, too. He left his wallet on the center console, the report said.
After the victim gave Kamau all his items, Kamau put the firearm in one of the pockets of his jacket. The victim then grabbed the extended magazine of the firearm and he and Kamau began to struggle over the firearm. The magazine came out, and the firearm discharged a round, the report said.
The other suspect came around the vehicle and began to throw punches, striking the victim multiple times. Kamau proceeded to pick up the victim and body-slammed him to the ground. Both subjects left, taking his vehicle and the Camry they arrived in, the report said.
The report noted that the owner of the Camry arrived at LPD looking for information on the location of her vehicle. The owner advised that Kamau was in possession of her vehicle and was supposed to pick her up from work, the report said.
Due to the evidence and victim testimony, Kamau was charged with carjacking (robbery with firearm or deadly weapon) and tamper (victim or witness). He was taken to Lake County Jail to be held without bond.
Kamau was also arrested in August 2023 for violating a restraining order.
