Carjacker Steals Car; Leads Cops on Wild Chase

by Maureen Daly

A brazen midnight gunpoint carjacking at a Huntington restaurant resulted in a wild police chase across western Suffolk, as the carjacker raced to evade capture.

A Huntington couple were leaving the well-known local restaurant Cirella's at12:45 am on Wednesday night, at 14 Broadhollow Road in Melville, when an armed robber accosted them in the parking lot. The driver and passenger of a 2005 BMW X3 were told to hand-over the car, by 21-year-old Jahmohri Mitchell of 11 Mastic Blvd., who was pointing a gun at them. Mitchell then took their keys and fled with their vehicle, according to police.

Officers from the fifth precinct spotted the stolen vehicle on Long Island Avenue in Medford a little more than a half-hour later. Officers attempted to pull the vehicle over but Mitchell refused to stop and led police on a high speed chase. Officers deployed “stop sticks” on Mill Road which blew-out the tires and forced Mitchell to stop.

Mitchell then abandoned the vehicle took off on foot. Multiple officers chased him, finally tackling Mitchell and taking him into custody at 1:32 a.m.

Mitchell is a resident of Shirley, and is currently being held in the County Jail.

According to police, the victims were a staff worker at Cirella's and her husband. Mitchell apparently attacked at random, and did not know the victims.