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Polk carjacking suspect found dead in St. Petersburg

 
Sloan Aaron Maybeck, 44, was found dead early Saturday in St. Petersburg.
Sloan Aaron Maybeck, 44, was found dead early Saturday in St. Petersburg.
Published May 24, 2015

ST. PETERSBURG — A man who had been the subject of a manhunt that started Friday with a carjacking in Polk County committed suicide Saturday morning in St. Petersburg, authorities said.

Sloan Aaron Maybeck, 44, was found dead about 6 a.m. behind a fishing bait shop and a 7-Eleven store at 6161 Fourth St. N. He appeared to have hanged himself with a belt, police said.

Maybeck had been sought since late Friday afternoon, when he stole a car from a Bartow convenience store, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Inside the car were a 1-year-old baby and a 30-year-old autistic man. Witnesses told sheriff's deputies that Maybeck had been at the store in the 3800 block of E State Road 60 in Bartow for a few hours. He was seen carrying a suitcase.

About 5:30 p.m., Maybeck jumped into the car's driver's seat, authorities said. The baby's mother and another man jumped on the car as Maybeck threw it into reverse. The two were dragged about 30 feet before being thrown off. Neither was seriously injured.

Maybeck drove west on State Road 60, then stopped in the area of Floral Avenue, where he let the man and the baby out, officials said. The man took the baby to a relative's house and called police.

A Polk County sheriff's helicopter tracked the stolen car to Bradenton, where it was found abandoned. There, authorities believe Maybeck stole another car and disappeared.

Mitch Halberg, owner of Mitch's Bait N Tackle, said he saw Maybeck's body next to a chain-link fence when he arrived for work about 6 a.m. At first he thought it was a homeless man sitting against the fence, asleep. After getting coffee at the 7-Eleven, Halberg walked back outside and chatted with a neighbor walking a dog.

"He said, 'You might want to check that guy up closer,' " Halberg said. "It looks like he has a rope or something around his neck."

The two walked up to Maybeck. A roll-away suitcase and an open Nos energy drink sat next to him. His body was stiff.

They called 911. A clerk from the 7-Eleven joined them and cut the belt with a razor knife. Police arrived soon after.

"I told them, 'He's dead,' " Halberg said. "And I know dead."

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd issued a statement early Saturday confirming that the dead man was Maybeck.

"Maybeck had a violent past, and it appears that violence led to his own death by his own hands," Judd said. "He was facing serious criminal charges ... Ultimately his irrational acts led to him taking his own life."

State records show Maybeck has served at least six stints in prison over the years in Florida and New York. His criminal history includes convictions for robbery, burglary and resisting an officer with violence.

After his most recent release from prison in 2013, he registered an address on Fourth Avenue N in St. Petersburg as his residence, according to the Department of Corrections.

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St. Petersburg police were investigating Maybeck's death.