Police found a Gainesville man in a tree Monday.
Leon Marcus Criswell
About an hour earlier, Leon Marcus Criswell kidnapped a motorist using his own car and led police on a winding high-speed car chase, Gainesville Police said.
Following an argument with the motorist at about 8:40 p.m., Criswell, 44, pushed him into his white Jeep and drove away, refusing to let the man out while driving into oncoming traffic and over medians and curbs, at one point reaching speeds of more than 120 miles per hour, according to an arrest report.
Criswell was borrowing the Jeep when he and the owner got into an argument at a CVS Pharmacy on Southwest 13th Street, according to the report. The owner’s friend called 911 to report the kidnapping.
The owner begged Criswell to let him out, but he refused and yelled for the owner to be quiet, according to the report. At one point, Criswell attempted to open the passenger-side door while driving.
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol were notified of the Jeep and chased Criswell as he fled along U.S Highway 441, GPD spokesperson Officer Matthew Goeckel said.
After arriving in Micanopy, Criswell jumped out of the car while it was still in motion and ran into the woods, according to the report. With the help of a police helicopter, officers found Criswell hiding in a tree and arrested him.
As for the passenger, he was found crying and shaking inside the car, bent over in a near-fetal position, per the report.
Criswell faces charges of false imprisonment and fleeing officers. He was taken to the Alachua County Jail, where he remains as of press time in lieu of a $75,000 bond.
Contact Meryl Kornfield at mkornfield@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @MerylKornfield
