According to a news release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, a man was taken into custody by deputies after he tried to steal ninety-three gallons of diesel gasoline from a Mobil gas station on Hillsborough Avenue.
According to reports, the incident occurred at 3:43 a.m. on Saturday when deputies observed Kiusler Perez Ortiz, 24, driving his vehicle on top of the fill port of an underground diesel fuel tank at the closed station.
According to the sheriff’s office, Ortiz put his car in reverse after deputies tried to speak with him. He then rapidly accelerated forward, hitting a patrol car and almost running over a deputy.
Deputies report that Ortiz was apprehended by law police in a rural area off Sunray Drive, having been pursued by them on Hillsborough Avenue into Pinellas County.
Ortiz is accused, according to Hillsborough deputies, of:
- Using a deadly weapon in an aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer
- Running away from reckless driving at high speeds, and
- Engaging in criminal mischief $1,000
- More Attachment Tag Unassigned Resistance Nonviolent
Further charges against Ortiz are reportedly forthcoming, according to the sheriff’s office.
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Sheriff Chad Chronister expressed his gratitude to his deputies in the release, saying they “were able to avoid any harm from this man who clearly did not want to be arrested.”
“Our patrol deputies resolved this volatile situation quickly and should be very proud of their efforts this morning,” Chronister stated.
