What to Know
- Daniel Dovi is facing charged related to a police chase that started in Fort Lauderdale and ended in a crash on I-95 Tuesday, officials said
- Hours earlier, the bodies of two men were found on the beach not far from where the pursuit began
- Police said they're investigating a possible connection between the two incidents
A man is facing charges following a police pursuit on Interstate 95 that ended in a crash, while detectives are still investigating a possible connection to a double murder on Fort Lauderdale Beach.
Daniel S. Dovi, 64, is facing charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault and fleeing and eluding, Fort Lauderdale Police officials said Wednesday.
Police said the pursuit began around 9:15 a.m. Tuesday after they received a report that a suspect in a Jeep had rammed another vehicle and golf cart on Center Avenue in Fort Lauderdale and fled the scene.
Broward Sheriff's Office deputies and Florida Highway Patrol troopers joined in the chase, which ended with a PIT maneuver that left the Jeep rolled onto its side in the northbound lanes of I-95 near Hillsboro Boulevard.
Just a few hours earlier, the bodies of two men were discovered on the beach, not far from where Dovi was accused of ramming the car and golf cart.
Local
Michael Jones said the Jeep had spent the night on a piece of property he owns on Center Avenue. Joes said that when he asked the driver to leave, things turned violent.
“He said he was going to kill me if I questioned him," Jones said. "He shoved me to the ground. I got up. I saw crazy in his eyes.”
Jones said that as he was on the phone with 911, the man got into his Jeep and rammed into the side of Jones’ Porsche while he was inside the car.
The driver also clipped his friend who was in a golf cart then fled the scene, Jones said.
Jones said officers arrived and as they were finishing their report, the Jeep returned to the scene and that's when the pursuit began.
Fort Lauderdale Police haven't released the identities of the two men found dead on the beach, but said they are still actively investigating the double homicide and its possible connection to the chase.
At a news conference Wednesday, Fort Lauderdale Police officials said Dovi is a "person of interest" in the double homicide investigation, and said officers recovered multiple edged weapons and clothes that had been freshly washed in his vehicle.
Police said they're asking residents and businesses in the area to review surveillance footage.
Dovi, a resident of Pennsylvania, was being held without bond Wednesday, Broward County jail records showed. Attorney information wasn't available.
During an appearance in bond court Wednesday, Dovi's brother spoke on his behalf.
“Dan was diagnosed with schizophrenia and he’s been on disability for the last eight years," Anthony Chris Dovi said. "From what I’ve heard he’s been off his medication for a year. Our mother died in November of 2018 and he had some issues with that.“
