Pines car theft suspect rams patrol car, chased down in Port St. Lucie, cops say
The suspect of a Pembroke Pines strong-arm robbery is behind bars after a Nov. 25 chase in a St. Lucie County park led to his arrest, according to the Port St. Lucie Police Department.
Officers were tipped off about a stolen vehicle used in the Broward County theft at around 9:30 a.m. before spotting it traveling east on Southeast Walton Road near Southeast Lennard Road, about 100 miles from Pembroke Pines, according to a Nov. 25 statement released on Port St. Lucie police’s social media platforms.
Behind the wheel was 23-year-old Zion McGowan of Fort Lauderdale, according to police, who said McGowan made a sudden turn down a one-way walking trail in Savannas Preserve State Park after officers were dispatched to conduct a felony traffic stop.
As police closed in on McGowan from all sides, he sped up and rammed a patrol vehicle and a gate to flee, kicking off a pursuit, according to the release.
He wound up on a dead-end street near the entrance of a 55+ community, Savanna Club, where he then attempted to run from police before being cuffed in the backyard of a home , officers said.
The stolen car belonged to McGowan’s friend, Pembroke Pines Police Department spokesperson Amanda Conwell told the Pembroke Pines News. She said the 23-year-old stole it following an argument between the two around 4 a.m. on Nov. 25.
Records show he’s being held in a St. Lucie County jail on $180,000 bond as of Nov. 26.
He faces three counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and charges of fleeing and eluding, drug possession, resisting with and without violence, driving with a suspended license, grand theft auto and felony criminal mischief.
This story was originally published November 26, 2025 at 3:33 PM.
