Man carjacks woman, takes deputies on high-speed chase through Collier, Lee counties

A woman is pushed into her passenger seat and carjacked while a man tries to get away from deputies. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office says they tried to pull the man over for speeding, but he took off and got into the woman’s car.

Fritz Gerald Senatus, 24, took off, but he didn’t get far before stopping his car and forcing his way into someone else’s.

“Standby, this is a vehicle that has crashed from a pursuit from Collier County,” said a deputy over the radio.

A high-speed chase, carjacking, kidnapping; deputies say Senatus did all of that in less than an hour on Wednesday night.

The crime spree started in Immokalee around 11:00 p.m. when deputies said they attempted to stop Senatus for driving 68 in a 45, but he didn’t stop.

Deputies chased him for more than 20 miles at speeds that exceeded 100 miles per hour.

“Assisting agency with Collier County. They’re in pursuit of a subject who possibly carjacked a female,” said a deputy over the radio.

Deputies say Senatus was able to steal a woman’s car by blocking its driver near the intersection of Corkscrew Road and SR 82. He demanded that she get out of the car, and when she didn’t, he pushed her into the passenger seat before taking her car and continuing to run.

The high-speed chase ended at the intersection of Corkscrew Road and US-41 after Senatus drove over stop sticks that deputies had deployed.

Senatus tried to get into two other vehicles that were in the intersection before he started to run again. Deputies were able to catch up to Senatus and arrest him in a nearby shopping plaza parking lot.

Deputies say Senatus had marijuana and about $1,000 cash on him.

He faces charges of high-speed fleeing and eluding, grand theft, and carrying a concealed firearm. He is being held in the Collier County Jail.