Florida man 'kidnapped a 17-year-old girl and forced her to drive him through a coronavirus checkpoint after officials turned him away for not having proof of residency'

A man has been arrested after allegedly kidnapping a 17-year-old girl and forcing her to drive him and another woman through a coronavirus check point. 

Florida Keys residents Alexander Michael Sardinas, 37, of Tavernier and a 43-year-old woman from Islamorada attempted to enter the coronavirus highway checkpoint into the area on Thursday morning in a taxi, reported the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

The pair were turned away after not being able to prove they were residents of Florida Keys - the area is currently closed to non-residents due to covid-19, reported Abc News.

Florida Keys' residents Alexander Michael Sardinas, 37, of Tavernier and a 43-year-old woman from Islamorada allegedly forced a 17-year old to drive them through a coronavirus checkpoint

Mr Sardinas and the woman then approached a 17-year-old girl - also a Florida Keys resident - in a Publix supermarket parking lot in Homestead, 30 miles north of Upper Keys, and allegedly threatened to harm her if she did not drive them across the checkpoint to Tavernier, said police.

The victim did as asked and drove the two through the checkpoint without alerting checkpoint authorities as they checked her driving licence. Police said the victim was too scared to raise the alarm.

Once she had dropped off Sardinas at a gas station, and the woman at a pharmacy, the victim, who was not injured, rang a family member who alerted police.  

Mr Sardinas and the woman then approached a 17-year-old girl - also a Florida Keys' resident - in a Publix supermarket parking lot in Homestead, 30 miles north of Upper Keys

Both Sardinas and the woman were found and questioned by police soon after, and did not deny being in the car with the young woman, police reported.  

The woman form Islamorada was not arrested, however Sardinas was charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment after being identified in a line up by the victim.

Police say more arrests and charges could take place regarding the case, reports Abc News. 

Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay said in a statement: 'I am relieved this suspect is currently sitting in jail and the young victim in this case was not seriously hurt.'