WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- The Winter Haven Police Department has issued an arrest warrant for a 31-year-old man for an armed carjacking on Thursday. 

  • Police searching for armed carjacking suspect
  • Tommy Harwell accused of stealing woman's car
  • Harwell and victim used to work together

Police said Tommy Allen Harwell was in the Northgate shopping plaza on Thursday when he ran into a former coworker who was walking from Publix to another store. 

Police said the two had previously worked together at Winter Haven Hospital early this year. 

Harwell asked the 57-year-old woman if she could help jump his car due to a dead battery. He also said he locked his keys in his car and needed to be driven to the Banyan Motel where he was staying to get a spare key. 

The victim offered to help and took him to the motel which was a short distance away. 

Once they arrived, police said Harwell got out of the vehicle, walked into the front office, returned, and got back into the car armed with a knife. He then held the knife to the victim's throat and yelled, "Get Out!" multiple times, according to the report. 

Police said the victim was able to grab the knife and push it away from her throat before grabbing her phone and fleeing the vehicle. Harwell then jumped into the driver's seat and drove northbound on Hwy 17, police said. 

Police said the victim received minor injuries to her neck and fingers from the knife. 

Harwell was last seen in the victim's maroon 2011 Nissan Altima with a Florida tag #CHR-158. He is described as a white male, 6'0", and weighs 260 pounds. 

Police said Harwell was recently released from jail on July 11 after being arrested on cocaine charges on May 29. 

Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-8477.