A 33-year-old Ocala man was arrested after fleeing from a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy who had spotted him in a stolen vehicle.
On Wednesday, January 12, MCSO received information about a stolen 2018 Dodge Journey SUV that was traveling westbound in the 2000 block of SW Highway 484 in Ocala.
An MCSO aviation unit observed an SUV that matched the stolen vehicle’s description, and an MCSO deputy was sent to the 14000 block of SW 38th Terrace Road.
The deputy located the stolen vehicle near the intersection of SW 34th Terrace Road and Marion Oaks Drive, and the patrol car’s lights and siren were activated.
The driver of the vehicle, later identified as John Wesley Herring, continued driving eastbound on Marion Oaks Drive, and he was observed running through a stop sign at the intersection.
The deputy pursued Herring south on SW 36th Avenue Road and then west on SW 143rd Place Road. Herring turned south onto Marion Oaks Boulevard and reached speeds of around 70 miles per hour.
Herring was observed running through multiple stop signs and he continued to travel south on Marion Oaks Boulevard. He then turned east on Marion Oaks Lane, made a U-turn, and traveled north on Marion Oaks Boulevard at speeds of around 60 miles per hour.
The deputy was able to successfully execute a Precision Immobilization Technique (P.I.T.) maneuver at the 200 block of Marion Oaks Boulevard. Herring was detained in handcuffs and he refused to speak with the deputy.
According to the MCSO report, a computer search on Herring revealed that his license was suspended.
Herring was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $8,500 bond. He is facing felony charges for fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer and grand theft of a motor vehicle along with a misdemeanor charge for operating a motor vehicle without a valid license.
A court date has been scheduled on Tuesday, February 15 at 9 a.m., according to jail records.