MOUNT DORA POLICE MAKE QUICK ARRESTS FOR ARMED CARJACKING

It was brazen, in broad daylight, and resulted in a swift arrest.  

On September 16 at approximately 2:30 in the afternoon, Mount Dora Police Officers responded to a report that an armed carjacking had occurred in the Loch Leven Publix parking lot located at U.S. Highway 441 and Donnelly Street.  

The victim, John Miller, told police that he was in his car in the parking lot when another car, driven by a white female, pulled up behind his car.  Two white males got out of the car and one got into the front passenger seat and pointed a gun at Miller’s head. Miller got out of the car and the suspect drove away.   The second suspect got back into the other car and also fled the scene.  

Police were alerted to the description of the victim’s car and told that it was headed north on U.S. Highway 441 with the other suspect’s vehicle following it.

While officers were still on the scene, another MDPD officer was driving south on the highway and noticed two cars that matched the descriptions turn into the nearby Target parking lot. Police officers detained the occupants of both vehicles and the victim was then taken to their location where he positively identified them.     (scroll down for rest of article)

ABOVE:  Alleged suspects, Michael Knapp (left) of St. Cloud and Michael Mulhern of Mount Dora.

Upon searching the victim’s vehicle, a handgun and other contraband were found.  Police arrested MIchael Knapp, driver of the victim’s vehicle, on charges of carjacking.  Knapp, a St. Cloud resident, was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.  The driver of the second car, Michael Mulhern of Mount Dora, was arrested for being an alleged principal in a carjacking. The female driver was not located or indentified.  

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