On January 19, 2022, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) received a call about a stolen vehicle from a Palm Coast business after employees arrived to work to find a locked file cabinet had been broken into and a company vehicle was missing. The suspect, later identified as Robert Lewis (DOB: 3/3/1991), did not show up for work and had deposited multiple checks into his bank account from the business that were unauthorized or written by the business.
Deputies were advised that Lewis sometimes takes a company truck home as needed. He was notified by an employee that the business’s truck and gas card, which were taken the day prior, were to be returned immediately. Due to Lewis not returning the vehicle, the business reported the vehicle stolen.
A “Be-On-the-Lookout” (BOLO) was issued to deputies on a Chevy Silverado, which was spotted in the area of US-1 and Belle Terre Boulevard on January 20, 2022 traveling northbound. Deputies tactically deployed stop sticks on South State Street in Bunnell in an attempt to disable the vehicle to avoid a pursuit. Sheriff Staly was also in the area and joined FCSO Deputies and Bunnell Police Officers in conducting a felony stop. The driver, confirmed to be Lewis, exited the vehicle and was secured without incident.
“This was a great job by all the deputies and agencies involved,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “I’m proud of the teamwork that was able to quickly apprehend the suspect and recover the stolen truck. I commend the Real-Time Crime Center who continued to track this vehicle and kept deputies informed of its location. Now it’s time for him to see what the Green Roof Inn has to offer and hopefully, that includes him learning a lesson about stealing from our community.”
Lewis is facing charges of Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle and Resisting Officer Without Violence. He’s being held in the Green Roof Inn on a $3,000 bond. Additional charges are pending further investigation.
View Footage of Pursuit Here:Â https://youtu.be/7SUIZoJsI88
Melissa Morreale, Public Affairs Officer
Organizational Services Division
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office
