Wild Police Chase in West Palm Beach: Man Behind Multiple Hit-and-Run Crashes Tries to Escape

After being seen participating in multiple hit-and-runs on Friday, a man was charged of leading West Palm Beach police on a pursuit. The Tanger Outlets was the scene of a hit-and-run involving two women on December 13, according to the West Palm Beach Police Department (WPBPD).

The women told the police that they were waiting to turn east toward the exit when they were stopped at a stop sign on the east side of the Outlets Mall. At that point, one of the women was struck by a black Mercedes, and her car collided with the back of the other.

According to police, the suspect in the black Mercedes fled eastward, heading for Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard and North Congress Avenue.

According to the arrest record, the officers noticed the black Mercedes with significant front-end damage again after a few minutes had passed. Police saw that a guy, later identified as Jonathan Mercado, was operating the vehicle.

The black Mercedes struck the back of a red Toyota Corolla as the responding police officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard. According to Mercado’s arrest affidavit, the 32-year-old driver of the black Mercedes did not try to stop after colliding with the second car.

After turning left onto the I-95 exit to head south, the black Mercedes started driving at 45 mph until it became trapped in heavy traffic.

What Attending Officer Had To Say

According to the attending officer, a 2024 Gray SUV Toyota SUV was hit in the back by a Mercado. According to the attending police, pieces of debris would fly off the black Mercedes as it ran away and strike the officer’s patrol car, rendering it inoperable.

The fleeing car was reported to have side-swiped a black Honda two-door sedan by another officer who got to the scene. The driver, Jonathan Mercado, was taken into custody by the Florida Highway Patrol after the West Palm Beach Police Department issued a bolo for the car.

The charges against Mercado included leaving the scene of a collision involving damage and aggravated escape or attempting to elude.