An Ocala man who twice sped away from a deputy trying to pull him over was arrested recently after his motorcycling companion identified him.
Joshua Chase Caddell, 31, of 89 Teak Road, was charged with fleeing/eluding law enforcement at a high speed and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.
At around 4 p.m. Thursday, a Marion County sheriff’s deputy observed two black motorcycles traveling east on SE 38th Street. Caddell’s motorcycle did not have a license plate attached to it, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The deputy recognized Caddell from a traffic stop he tried to conduct on Feb. 21, when a black motorcycle without a tag pulled into Plantation Landing, 7575 S. Pine Ave., without a license plate attached to it. In that incident, Cadell ignored the lights and siren, looked back at the deputy and gave him the middle finger before accelerating away. The deputy was able to see Caddell’s mask through the clear visor, the report said.
Having recognized Caddell from the previous incident, the deputy caught up with him on SE 38th Street where it dead ends at SE 58th Avenue. The deputy activated his emergency lights and tried to block Caddell in, but he ignored the lights, entered the grass shoulder and passed several cars to enter SE 58th Avenue. The deputy followed Cadell until he accelerated away at what appeared to be well over 100 mph in a 45-mph speed zone, according to the report.
The deputy returned to the spot where he tried to stop the two motorcycles and spoke with the other motorcyclist, who ultimately identified Caddell as the one who fled. The deputy searched photo records and confirmed Caddell was the suspect, the report said.
Several hours later, the deputy drove past Caddell’s residence and saw a white Ford Explorer backing out of the driveway. The deputy traveled next to the Explorer on SE 58th Avenue and observed it to have illegal window tinting. He initiated the traffic stop and Cadell pulled over this time, according to the report.
While speaking with Caddell, the deputy noticed the distinct smell of marijuana and asked Caddell for his medical marijuana card. Caddell said he didn’t have one and was detained in the patrol car while the deputy searched the vehicle. During the search, the deputy found a green leafy substance in the cupholder and a vape pen with several cartridges. The green leafy substance and the liquid inside the cartridges tested positive for THC content, the report said.
After being read his Miranda warning, Caddell told the deputy he has a bad driving record and always receives traffic citations, so he “didn’t want to stop.” He said the license plate fell off his motorcycle. Caddell also said while he did run from the deputy, he doesn’t always drive in that manner. He admitted the THC items belonged to him, according to the report
Caddell was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was released on $10,000 bond. No court information was available.