- April 17, 2024
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Deputies arrested a 17-year-old driving a stolen vehicle after the teen tried to flee a traffic stop and crashed into a deputy's car.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a car being driven with a stolen tag on Belle Terre in Palm Coast at 5:33 a.m. on Dec. 30.
The vehicle, a Lexus SUV, was observed in the drive-thru line of Culver’s. When deputy's approached the vehicle, the driver was ordered to shut off the car, but refused.
Deputies opened the driver’s side and the passenger’s side door in an attempt to get the driver to exit and turn off the vehicle.
Instead, he driver accelerated while deputies were holding the doors. As another deputy approached the scene, the suspect vehicle drove towards a marked patrol vehicle, striking the front of the patrol vehicle.
The suspect then then jumping a curb and fled onto State Road 100 towards Town Center.
Deputies saw the driver jump from the driver’s side door while the vehicle was still moving. The driver ran through the McDonald’s parking lot and behind the Vitamin Shoppe until he saw a patrol vehicle pull up beside him.
Then he laid down on the ground and complied with orders. He was secured without further incident.
The vehicle and tag were both confirmed stolen from North Miami. During a search of the vehicle, deputies recovered an additional stolen tag in the back seat.
The suspect has a criminal history dating back to 2017 and has been previously charged by the North Miami Police Department with Armed Carjacking, Flee and Elude, Grand Theft, Resisting Officer without Violence, Fail to Obey LEO Order to Stop, and Operate Motor Vehicle without Valid Driver’s License.
“This kid from south Florida made the mistake of stopping in Flagler,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “He put multiple lives at risk, including our deputies, by his actions. Deputies did a great job showing great restraint when they were assaulted by this kid driving a stolen car with intent on escaping arrest. He’s been slapped on the hand in South Florida too many times already. I hope he’s held accountable and learns this time, as he’s is on a fast-track to a life in state prison.”
The suspect was arrested for Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle, Resisting Officer with Violence, Fleeing and Eluding, Reckless Driving, Petit Theft, Driving While License Suspended with Knowledge, Criminal Mischief, and Aggravated Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer.
He was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and turned over to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.
