Man faces 13 charges after carjacking, collision
A man faces multiple charges in two counties after authorities say he carjacked a vehicle and led law enforcement on a 40-mile chase out of Palm Beach County on Friday, which culminated in a head-on collision with a deputy.
Juan Carlos Carmenate, who sustained a leg injury in the crash, remained hospitalized Saturday. Carmenate is accused of carrying out an armed carjacking in Greenacres and then leading Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s deputies on a high-speed chase into Martin County that ended in a violent collision with Martin County Detective Jason Fleming’s car after shots were fired at deputies.
Carmenate, 35, is known to have gang affiliations, according to PBSO spokeswoman Teri Barbera.
Fleming and Carmenate were flown to St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach after the crash, according to Martin County Sheriff William Snyder. Fleming sustained a head injury, some bruises and cuts, but he was released from the hospital hours later, MCSO said.
“(Fleming) is banged up,” said Christine Christofek Weiss, public information officer for Martin County Sheriff ’s Office. “Miraculously, he walked out of the hospital yesterday. He has a long road of recovery ahead of him.”
The carjacking happened at 2 p.m. at Ed’s Food and Deli on Lake Worth Road west of Haverhill Road. Then, Carmenate led deputies on a chase to Pratt Whitney Road, according to PBSO.
As the car approached the county line, deputies called the Martin County Sheriff ’s Office to warn them that Carmenate was headed their way. Martin County deputies threw down stop sticks, which punctured Carmenate’s tires, Snyder said during a press conference Friday night.
“He hit those stop sticks, picked up speed, even though his tires were flat,” Snyder said.
Aerial video from MCSO’s Facebook page shows Carmenate changing direction multiple times before he ran off the road and ultimately hit the parked car with Detective Fleming inside.
“He hit that car so hard that it rolled over from the stopped position and did a 360,” Snyder said.
Prior to the crash with Fleming, Carmenate also fired shots at deputies and collided with an unmarked Martin County vehicle that had two deputies inside, according to Weiss.
“He’s really lucky to be alive,” Snyder said of Carmenate. “He came into Martin County, opened fire on my deputies, and had they gotten a shot on him, they would have taken it.”
Carmenate faces three charges of attempted mur- der, two charges of aggravated assault, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and one fleeing and eluding charge in Martin County, according to Weiss. In Palm Beach County, Carmenate faces multiple charges, including robbery, aggravated battery, aggravated assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon by a gang-related felon, display of a firearm during a felony and fleeing and eluding.
Carmenate previously served 10 years in prison for vehicular homicide and was released in 2016.
The January 2005 crash at Bunker Road and Parker Avenue in West Palm Beach was so severe that the car caught fire and neither the victim nor his car could be immediately identified, according to The Post’s archives.
“God caused that accident” to lead him to the glory of God, Carmenate said before his sentencing in that crime.