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Missing toddler found, triple murder suspect arrested in Florida

Missing toddler found safe after Amber Alert
Posted at 9:32 PM, Apr 01, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-02 05:21:03-04

TAMPA, Fla. — A man suspected of killing three people in Georgia, and then taking his 2-year-old son, led officers on a high-speed chase in Tampa Wednesday night.

The suspect was arrested after officers negotiated for nearly six hours.

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Earlier in the day, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued an Amber Alert for the suspect's son, King Crockett, who was last seen in Gainesville.

The suspect, Caesar Crockett, was wanted by authorities in Georgia after he is accused of killing the boy's mother, stepfather and sister.

Just before 1:30 p.m., the Tampa Police Department spotted a vehicle driven by Crockett as it traveled south on Interstate 75 near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in Tampa. Police tried to get the suspect to pull over, but police said Crockett refused to stop.

FHP was also in the area and helped police with trying to locate and stop Crockett.

As police struggled to get Crocket to pull over, a high-speed chase ensued, with Crockett reaching speeds more than 100 mph at one point during the chase. Crockett eventually crashed his vehicle on the Exit 9 ramp to I-75.

Crockett, with his 2-year-old son still inside the vehicle, refused to immediately surrender to police and authorities then shut down Interstate 4 at N. 50th Street.

A little before 2 p.m., Crockett let go of his son and law enforcement officers safely took the child into custody.

After the boy was released, a standoff then ensued. Crockett eventually surrendered to TPD at 7:40 p.m.

I-4 eventually reopened after shutting down for a couple of hours.