Bodycam shows accused kidnapper hiding in tractor-trailer after leading pursuit

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 judge on Thursday.

Michael McNeal is facing multiple charges in Broward County, including battery, kidnapping and more.

Investigators say it started in Margate in March of 2025, when McNeal allegedly entered the woman’s home despite a court order barring him from contacting her.

According to investigators, he assaulted the woman and forced her and her children into the 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 suffered facial injuries, but her 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 say 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.

On Thursday, he appeared before a Broward judge in bond court, where they indicated McNeal would remain in custody because he is already serving a state sentence.

McNeal’s next hearing in Broward County is scheduled for Nov. 3. NBC6 reached out to his attorney for comment and are waiting to hear back.