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2 Jailed In St. Pete Carjacking

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 17, 2008

Updated: 01/17/2008 09:44 am

ST. PETERSBURG - Two teenagers were arrested Wednesday on charges they stole a car from an elderly pair at gunpoint and then led police on a chase that involved several minor wrecks, authorities say.

Michael Thomas, 17, of St. Petersburg, was charged with one count of armed carjacking, three counts of fleeing and eluding, three counts of hit-and-run and one count of possession of a firearm.

  Kwame Weaver

Kwame Weaver, 18, also of St. Petersburg, was charged with two counts of obstruction of justice and with being a principal to an armed carjacking, said St. Petersburg Police Department spokesman George Kajtsa.

The carjacking victims -- William James Walker, 80, of St. Petersburg, and Katherine Manson, 87, also of St. Petersburg -- were on the verge of getting into a 2007 Chevrolet Impala in a parking lot in the 2800 block of 34th Street North when the car was taken at gunpoint, Kajtsa said.

The Impala was equipped with an OnStar road-emergency system, and OnStar dispatchers gave police the Impala's location soon after the theft, Kajtsa said. Officers spotted and chased the car, which crashed in the 1800 block of 21st Street South, Sgt. Joseph Dente said.

There were three minor automobile accidents during the chase, but no one was hurt, Dente said.

Thomas and Weaver were arrested without incident, and a sawed-off .22-caliber rifle used in the carjacking was recovered, Kajtsa said.

The victims identified Thomas and Weaver, who told police they took the car, Kajtsa said.

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson@tampatrib.com.

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