Last Updated: 3:59 p.m.
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies captured two individuals and were looking for a third following a stolen-vehicle incident involving two stolen cars that unraveled in Palm Coast’s L-Section. The original vehicle was stolen in Seminole County. A second vehicle was driven from on Palm Coast Parkway, after the original vehicle was abandoned at a gas station.
“We’ve apprehended two of them with the assistance of FireFlight,” the county’s emergency helicopter, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said from the scene. “We are looking for the third person.” Within 20 minutes or so, the third individual was apprehended.
“There’s a stolen car from Seminole County,” a gray Corvette, the sheriff said, “but these dirtbags had ski masks and backpacks, so they were up to more than stealing a car, and that part we are still investigating.” They got into the second car in the area of Palm Coast Parkway–a common tactic, the sheriff said, when individuals are attempting to evade capture. The status of that car is not clear for now. (An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to the second car as stolen. Only the first car was confirmed as stolen as of now.)
“We used stop sticks as they were fleeing northbound on U.S. 1,” he continued. “They turned on Matanzas [Woods Parkway], lost a tire and bailed out of the car, FireFlight was on top of them the whole time. FireFlight did a great job, we got two in custody immediately. FireFlight saw three people flee the vehicle, go into an empty wooded lot, saw two come out, and found the third huddled out in the wooded lot.”
Deputies had a K-9 unit on scene. The sheriff and Chief Deputy Joseph Barile were also there. “The one in the woods gave up as soon as he saw the dog,” the sheriff said. “The dog was within a nose or snout of biting him when he gave up so the handler called the dog back, and the others, as soon as deputies got on the scene and pointed their firearms at them, they surrendered. We don’t know if they were armed or not, that’s still going to be be part of the investigation. We know they were throwing stuff out of te vehicle as they were fleeing.”
Before his capture, the third individual had been described as a Black male, with a black mask on, and black clothing. The search drew a heavy police presence in the area of Lynbrook Drive in Palm Coast. Residents in the L-Section had been asked to stay inside their homes and not take chances if they did see something, or attempt to act heroically. “Let us do our job,” the sheriff had said. Matanzas High School did not have to go on lockdown as it had already dismissed students.
“Until they are in custody we consider everyone armed at this point,” Staly said. “I don’t want the community taking chances. If you see something call us.”
The Florida Highway Patrol also assisted the operation. The investigation continues, as the sheriff suspects that there was more to the incident than stolen cars. The individuals’ identities were not released,. But the sheriff said they do not appear to be from Flagler County.
“the car they fled in: we don’t the status of that car.”
