A Sarasota man has been arrested after he reportedly stole a car with a 9-year-old girl inside while her father was loading mulch into the trunk on Saturday.
The 9-year-old girl was able to escape from the back seat before the suspect left the parking lot.
Deputies with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office say Thomas White, 31, is a convicted felon and he reportedly led them on a chase after the carjacking and attempted kidnapping.
White eventually stopped at the intersection of Cattlemen and Bee Ridge and then ran away from the vehicle into a nearby restaurant where he was arrested.
White has two dozen prior arrests in Sarasota County for crimes including Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Assault, Burglary, and Dealing in Stolen Property. He was released from prison in October 2016 after being sentenced to four years behind bars for Trafficking in Stolen Property, Burglary, and 10 other felony charges.
White remains in custody at the Sarasota County Jail on two counts of Resisting an Officer, Carjacking, Burglary, Kidnapping and Vehicle Theft. White is being held without bond.
The investigation is ongoing.
