Suspect Kidnaps 2 Women, Leads Police on Wild Chase

Sheriff’s deputies chased a suspect who had taken two women hostage through three Florida counties Saturday night, ending in a crash and a shootout that left the suspect dead.

The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 42-year-old Curtis Kimbrough, who they said “had a lengthy felony record” and had been recently released from prison after serving 5 years on gun and drug charges.

Brevard officials said the incident began for them when the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office contacted them at about 8 p.m., saying they were pursuing a suspect “with a possible hostage” from Osceola County in which the victim had been shot.

Brevard deputies joined deputies from Osceola and Indian River Counties as well as the Sebastian Police Department. Several times, authorities said, the suspect fired at Indian River County deputies.

The vehicle finally crashed and became disabled in a field in Grant, Florida, and a woman escaped from the vehicle to deputies. She was the victim who had been shot in the initial report, but Kimbrough had a second kidnapping victim, and they exited the vehicle with Kimbrough holding a gun to her head as they slipped into a wooded area.

Aviation units kept track of the suspect and his victim until officers caught up with them. Deputies and officers engaged in a brief exchange of gunfire with the suspect, who was fatally wounded.

Officers rescued the woman, and both victims were taken to a hospital for treatment. The 33-year-old woman who Kimbrough took out of the vehicle with him was treated and released, while the 41-year-old woman was a shot in the initial incident is in serious condition in the hospital.

No law enforcement members were injured.

Investigators did not release the names of the victims.

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[Featured image: Craig Kimbrough/Brevard County Sheriff’s Office]