A suspect in a violent armed kidnapping in Fort Lauderdale drowned Wednesday after jumping into a lake in Tamarac while trying to flee from authorities, officials said.
Fort Lauderdale Police officials said the suspect, whose name wasn't released, had been involved in a Feb. 13 armed kidnapping in the 2000 block of Northwest 14th Avenue.
The two victims in the case, both juveniles, had been forced into two vehicles at gunpoint before they were beaten and robbed by a group of suspects, police said.
Stay informed about local news and weather. Get the NBC 6 South Florida app for iOS or Android and pick your alerts.
Both victims were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.
Fort Lauderdale Police worked with the US Marshals Task Force to identify a suspect and tracked him to a condominium complex on West Clairmont Circle in Tamarac Wednesday.
Authorities believe the suspect realized he was being followed and started to flee before jumping into a lake in the complex.
Local
Officials said officers tried to follow him but the conditions weren't safe, so they called in a dive team.
The man was found a short time later and pulled from the lake, and authorities gave him life-saving measures at the scene, officials said.
The man was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The incident remains under investigation.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
