Florida Man Steals Car, Swipes Vape Through Gas Station Window, Then Leads Deputies on a Chase

Image Credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office He needed a ride and a vape. So, a Florida man allegedly stole a vehicle from an occupied home, swiped a vape from a gas station, and then tried to escape deputies tracking him from the ground and sky.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said the incident happened on Oct. 10 around 8 a.m. on Alafia Hills Drive. Deputies identified the suspect as 26-year-old Zachary Brooks.

Brooks allegedly went to an occupied residence, stole the keys, and then took the vehicle. The sheriff’s office said he then drove to a gas station, where he reached through a sales window and stole a vape before fleeing.

Deputies eventually spotted the stolen vehicle near Jerry Smith Road and Trapnell Road. With help from the sheriff’s office Aviation Unit, they tracked the vehicle from the sky until it stopped on East Trapnell Road, but Brooks had one more escape attempt in mind.

HCSO released footage of the incident on their social media. It shows the Aviation Unit at work following the vehicle from the sky. The driver-side door is open as Brooks tries to make his getaway.

Brooks then comes to a stop, but he gets out and runs on foot in another attempt to get away. The aerial footage shows a deputy following him to the residence Brooks ran to.

The Aviation Unit observed Brooks run to the porch and pool deck of the residence. The deputy received information about his location and, with a Taser drawn, entered the deck before taking Brooks into custody without further incident.

Jail records show Brooks was booked into the Falkenburg Road Jail on Oct. 10 at 2:12 p.m. He is being charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle, burglary of an occupied dwelling, high-speed fleeing to elude law enforcement, reckless driving, and driving with a canceled, suspended, or revoked license.

He also faces a charge of resisting an officer without violence, along with burglary of an occupied structure and petit theft as a second conviction. The occupied-structure burglary and petit-theft charges appear in a separate case number filed the same day.

The grand theft motor vehicle and occupied dwelling burglary charges are listed as third- and second-degree felonies, respectively. The high-speed fleeing charge is also listed as a second-degree felony in the booking record.

Brooks has a total listed bond of $13,800, and there was no information regarding a set court date. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

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