Detroit men sentenced to prison after carjacking 3 victims, leading police on high-speed chases

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Two Detroit men will spend time behind bars for committing three armed carjackings in 2021.

Damario Howell, 21, was sentenced Thursday to 14 years in prison. Seandre Braxton, 24, was sentenced in February of this year to 15 years.

On Sept. 29, 2021, the men pointed handguns at a victim who was sitting in his vehicle before pulling the victim out and stealing his vehicle. 

Three days later, the men carjacked two more victims, authorities said. First, they confronted a victim who was outside his vehicle and demanded his keys. Braxton fled in the stolen vehicle. Then, the pair confronted a victim at gunpoint and stole another vehicle.

Minutes after the third carjacking, Howell fled police by smashing the car from the second carjacking into a police car. He then drove off and led officers on a high-speed chase before exiting the car and entering the car from the third carjacking driven by Braxton. 

Braxton led police on another chase that ended when he crashed the car into two other vehicles. Both men were caught after a short foot chase.

Braxton and Howell both pleaded guilty to three counts of carjacking, one count of carrying a firearm while committing a carjacking, and one count of brandishing a firearm while committing a carjacking. Their sentencing guidelines were increased for reckless endangerment during flight because of the chases.

"Carjacking is one of the most brazen crimes. These defendants’ carjacking spree not only endangered their victims, but their reckless indifference also created a significant risk of harm across the community," said U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison. "We will seek significant federal penalties against those who prey on motorists in our communities."