Palm Coast, FL - A suspect from Miami steals a dump truck from Flagler County before crashing it at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville.
The Flagler County Sheriff's Office says it all began earlier this morning (June 11th) around 7:30.
At that time, deputies met with employees at Corey Enterprises Lawn and Landscape Inc. off Hargrove Grade, where they say a dump truck was stolen from the business.
Employees said that a male walked into the employee-only area of the business, took the keys to the truck and immediately left the business. They also said they believe they haven't seen this man before.
The suspect, now identified as 24-year-old Rodney Simeon, then took the truck onto US-1 before turning onto I-95.
The stolen truck was equipped with a GPS tracker that authorities were able to use, but it had a two-minute delay.
However, employees were able to update the suspect's location and point deputies in the right direction.
FCSO notified the St. John's County Sheriff's Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and the Florida Highway Patrol about the vehicle that was quickly leaving Flagler County.
Simeon continued on I-95, causing numerous crashes in St. Johns and Duval, according to the FCSO.
The final GPS location showed the truck idling at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville.
US Navy and JSO Authorities alerted FCSO that they had deployed a barricade system to prevent the suspect from driving the vehicle into the base.
Officers discovered a ski mask and a firearm believed to belong to the suspect inside the truck.
Simeon was taken into custody by JSO officers and military personnel and taken to a local hospital for medical evaluation.
Once cleared, Simeon was arrested on an FCSO warrant for grand theft and burglary.
According to FCSO, Simeon's current address is listed as a resident in Miami. There is also no known motive at this time.
“This guy appeared to be on a mission and wasn’t going to let anyone or anything stand in his way,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “We still do not know his intent or what caused him to steal a heavy duty truck and try to force his way onto a Naval base."
Simeon's vehicle was also left at the business in Palm Coast with no tag on the car.
The FCSO Domestic Homeland Security Section notified state officials of the incident and the investigation is continuing. Additional charges may be pending from other agencies.
