The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office charged a Sarasota man with carjacking after he stole a woman’s car and later crashed it following a pursuit, in the city of Sarasota.

 

Deputies were alerted Tuesday just after 7:00 p.m., of a possible carjacking in the 6300 block of North Lockwood Ridge Road in Sarasota. According to the victim, she was forced into her vehicle by the suspect who threatened her with a gun. The victim drove the suspect to a nearby parking lot where the suspect stole several of her credit cards and cell phone, as well as her 2006 Cadillac sedan. Through investigation detectives learned the victim’s credit card was used at Walmart only minutes after the carjacking. A short time later, the card was also used at a nearby gas station. Surveillance video helped detectives identify the suspect as 52-year-old George Sparrow, of 5346 Durango Avenue. On Wednesday, Sparrow was taken into custody by the Sarasota Police Department following a pursuit that ended in the area of Tamiami Trail and 42^nd Street.  

 

Today Sparrow faces three new charges including Kidnapping, Armed Carjacking, and Grand Theft. He also faces a single count of Fleeing to Elude from the Sarasota Police Department. Sparrow has more than a dozen local arrests for crimes including Burglary, Uttering a Forged Instrument, Battery and others.