A 40-year-old man who fled from a traffic stop in Lake County was arrested by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office after a high-speed pursuit came to an end at a local cemetery.
On Tuesday, August 8, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office received a call for service to assist the Eustis Police Department with the pursuit of a suspect. The arrest report stated that a black Hyundai Elantra had fled from a traffic stop in Lake County, and the vehicle was heading westbound near the 25800 block of SE Highway 42 in Marion County.
An MCSO deputy spotted a sedan matching the suspect’s vehicle near the intersection of SE 117th Avenue and SE Highway 42, and the deputy made a U-turn to get behind the vehicle. The deputy noted in the report that the vehicle quickly pulled into a driveway in an attempt to evade law enforcement.
The MCSO report stated that the sedan made a U-turn at the intersection of 115th Avenue and SE Highway 42, and the vehicle began traveling eastbound at a high rate of speed. The deputy activated the patrol car’s emergency lights and sirens in an attempt to conduct a traffic stop.
The deputy noted in the report that the driver of the sedan, later identified as Emmanuel Carl Hill, Jr., continued to flee in the vehicle at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. According to the MCSO report, the deputy was soon advised to stop the pursuit “due to the driver’s speed and careless driving.”
The MCSO report stated that Eustis police were able to actively track the sedan, and it eventually stopped at Greenwood Cemetery located at 17341 SE 165th Avenue in Weirsdale. Hill proceeded to “bail out of the vehicle,” and he fled on foot.
An MCSO deputy spotted Hill hiding behind a headstone in the cemetery, and he was taken into custody.
A search was conducted in the wooded area near where Hill was found, and the following items were recovered: the keys to the Hyundai Elantra; a $1 bill wrapped around a white crystal rock substance that field-tested positive for cocaine; and four Florida Lottery tickets with a plastic baggie containing a green leafy substance that field-tested positive for marijuana, according to the MCSO report.
The interior of the Hyundai Elantra was also searched, and a wallet and several bank cards belonging to Hill were found inside. The MCSO report stated that the Eustis Police Department was able to positively identify Hill as the driver and sole occupant of the sedan.
Hill was arrested, transported to Marion County Jail, and he was later released on $14,000 bond. He is facing felony charges for fleeing to elude a law enforcement officer, resisting a law enforcement officer with lights and siren active, and possession of cocaine, along with misdemeanor charges for possession of marijuana (20 grams or less) and driving with a suspended license.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.