An Ocala man who was being sought by Marion County sheriff’s deputies for failing to appear in court on a petit theft charge was arrested Tuesday afternoon – but not before a foot chase through the Palm Cay neighborhood.
A deputy who had been patrolling the area following the grand theft of an automobile the night before was on the lookout for 47-year-old John Fitzpatrick Essex, who lives at 11267 SW 76th Ter. Essex was known to be “bouncing between houses in the neighborhood,” a sheriff’s office report states.
A short time later, a woman flagged down the deputy and told him that Essex had just left her neighbor’s house in a gold car. She pointed out the vehicle to the deputy as it turned west on SW 107th Place, the report says.
By the time the deputy got his patrol vehicle turned around, he had lost sight of Essex’s vehicle. But he spotted it parked in the driveway of a home in the 10800 block of SW 79th Terrace and then saw Essex, who was dressed in a blue shirt and white shorts, running from the vehicle, the report says.
The deputy chased Essex east through the neighborhood and ordered him to stop and get on the ground several times, but he continued to flee, the report says, adding that the deputy finally caught him after they crossed SW 79th Avenue.
After Essex again refused the deputy’s commands, he drew his taser and ordered him to the ground. Essex got on his knees and said, “That’s all you’re getting.” But when the deputy attempted to put him in handcuffs, Essex resisted and had to be taken to the ground with one arm pinned behind his back, the report states.
Essex eventually complied and was then transported to the Marion County Jail, where he was charged with resisting an officer without violence, a bench warrant for a previous petit theft charge and probation violations on previous charges of grand theft, possession of methamphetamine and driving with a suspended or revoked license.
Essex, who has been housed in the jail six times since Jan. 31, 2017, has court dates of Dec. 12, Dec. 18 and Jan. 22 scheduled to answer to the charges.
Essex also has been arrested two other times this year. On Aug. 24 he was charged with larceny/first degree petit theft and probation violations for charges of grand theft, possession of methamphetamine and driving with a suspended or revoke license. And on April 22, he was charged with driving with a suspended license (habitual offender) and probation violations on charges of grand theft and possession of methamphetamine.