Volusia County, FL - The Volusia County Sheriff's Office's (VCSO) 'Operation Rolling Thunder' yielded more than 2 dozen arrests.
The operation saturated the east side of the county and then moved west Wednesday, March 22, through Friday, March 24, with the VCSO and almost every other agency in the county taking part.
According to the VCSO, teams of officers and detectives were assigned to designated areas of the county to conduct proactive law enforcement and develop information on criminal activity. More than 2 dozen people were arrested for charges such as: driving with a suspended license, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer and carrying a concealed firearm, grand theft of a motor vehicle, and possession of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin.
Officers conducted 769 traffic stops and issued 446 traffic citations during the operation.
Listed below are details of 3 arrests made during the operation, as reported by the VCSO:
Clarence Collmar, 41, passed a license plate reader that alerted officers the vehicle had been reported stolen the previous day. A deputy confirmed the tag number, then a Sheriff's Office helicopter flew overhead to track the vehicle's movements from the sky. The vehicle got stuck in traffic at the intersection of Mason Ave. and Nova Road, giving officers the opportunity to move in and make the arrest. After a marijuana pipe was found in the vehicle, Collmar was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail on charges of grand theft of a motor vehicle and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Dakevian Smith, 22, was pulled over for speeding along Mason Ave. and a loaded handgun was found in his glove compartment. He was arrested for carrying a concealed firearm.
Austin Fitzsimmons, 18, fled from a traffic stop, but was eventually pulled over. He had 3 baggies of methamphetamine and a scale in his vehicle with a pellet gun that resembled an actual handgun. He was charged with possession of meth with intent to sell, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, driving on a suspended license and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Also during the operation, a vehicle stolen from a car lot was recovered.
The VCSO intends to carry out more operations in the future.
Photos courtesy of the VCSO.
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