BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — A man accused of kidnapping a woman and her two young children and then leading deputies on a high-speed chase appeared before a Broward County judge on Thursday, October 29. Deputies say he ran from the crash that ended the chase and was found hiding inside a tractor-trailer.
Michael McNeal is facing multiple charges in Broward County, including battery and kidnapping. Investigators say it began in Margate in March 2025, when McNeal allegedly entered the woman’s home despite a court order barring him from contacting her. They say he assaulted her and forced her and her children into a car.
Deputies tracked the vehicle north into St. Johns County, where a traffic stop turned into a pursuit. The chase ended in Putnam County when the car crashed. Deputies found the woman and her children inside. The woman had facial injuries, and the children appeared unharmed.
McNeal ran from the crash, but deputies eventually found him hiding inside a tractor-trailer. “We know you’re in the trailer. Show your hands. Come out now,” deputies are heard saying in bodycam footage.
McNeal was later convicted in Putnam County of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude, two counts of culpable negligence, false imprisonment, and burglary of an unoccupied conveyance.
At Thursday’s bond court hearing, the judge indicated McNeal will remain in custody because he is already serving a state sentence. His next hearing in Broward County is scheduled for November 3. NBC6 reached out to his attorney for comment and is waiting to hear back.
📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.
