DELRAY BEACH, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — New court documents show the Delray Beach man accused of firing toward officers during a residential search warrant operation earlier this week was first the subject of a DNA warrant investigation that led to a police pursuit across southern Palm Beach County.
The suspect, Evan Robert Berkowitz, 56, of Delray Beach, now faces multiple felony charges stemming from two separate incidents tied to that investigation: a Feb. 26 police chase and a March 5 warrant operation at his home on Palm Forest Drive South.
The investigation began with surveillance conducted by the Delray Beach Police Department Criminal Intelligence Unit, according to arrest affidavits filed in Palm Beach County court.
Detectives had obtained a DNA search warrant for Berkowitz and were monitoring him at his residence in Delray Beach. Investigators reported that Berkowitz left the home in a red Toyota Camry and drove north, where detectives followed the vehicle toward Boca Raton.
When Berkowitz later traveled west on West Linton Boulevard, Delray Beach officers attempted a traffic stop.
The vehicle did not stop.
According to the affidavit, Berkowitz accelerated away, beginning a pursuit that eventually involved the Florida Highway Patrol.
Investigators wrote that the vehicle reached speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour in a 45-mph zone, drove into oncoming lanes of traffic, and passed vehicles recklessly along Linton Boulevard, Jog Road, and Lake Ida Road.
The report states the driver ran a red light and forced other vehicles off the roadway before continuing north.
The pursuit was eventually terminated near Hagen Ranch Road and Lantana Road after the vehicle continued at high speed and entered opposing lanes of traffic.
Berkowitz was charged in that case with fleeing and eluding law enforcement and reckless driving, according to the affidavit.
Days later, investigators obtained a warrant to search Berkowitz’s home.
Court records show Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Charles Burton signed a residential search warrant on March 2 for the home at 4218 Palm Forest Drive South in Delray Beach.
Officers returned to the residence on March 5 to execute that warrant.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Delray Beach police, officers attempted to call Berkowitz out of the residence and deployed gas canisters in an effort to force him from the home.
Members of the Boca Raton Police Department SWAT team assisted Delray Beach police during the operation, the affidavit states.
Investigators wrote that gunshots were fired from inside the residence during the warrant service, including rounds directed toward officers positioned outside.
Police later documented bullet holes and recovered spent shell casings inside the home, along with a handgun and high-capacity magazine, according to the affidavit.
Berkowitz eventually surrendered and was taken into custody.
He now faces multiple felony charges tied to the gunfire reported during the warrant service, including five counts of attempted murder, five counts of violent offense against justice system personnel, and five counts tied to possession or use of a weapon during aggravated battery.
Additional charges listed in the arrest documents include resisting an officer with violence, possession of a concealed weapon by a felon, and counts filed under Florida’s attempt, solicitation, or conspiracy statute.
The records released with Berkowitz’s arrest do not describe the underlying investigation that led Delray Beach detectives to obtain the DNA warrant.
One affidavit references Delray Beach Police Department case number 26-1349, but the documents focus on the pursuit and the search warrant operation that followed.
The residence connected to the investigation is located in Delray Beach. The records show Boca Raton officers assisted during the execution of the warrant but do not indicate Boca Raton police were the lead agency in the investigation.
The criminal case tied to the pursuit and the charges stemming from the warrant service is now pending in Palm Beach County court.
Check the latest Boca Raton arrest reports for confirmed bookings, criminal charges, and police enforcement activity.
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