A Volusia County man with a long history of run-ins with the law is now behind bars after leading Flagler County deputies on a high-speed chase in a stolen truck — and then hiding under a stranger’s house. He was found the hard way: by a police dog.

The Chase

Around 2 a.m. on March 2, a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) deputy responded to Mahogany Boulevard in Bunnell after reports of a stolen vehicle in the area. The deputy spotted the truck and immediately had reason for concern. The vehicle ran two stop signs on a dirt road at high speed. Radar clocked it at 92 mph in a 30 mph zone.

The deputy activated his lights and sirens near Water Oak Road and County Road 2006, attempting to pull the truck over. The driver, identified as James Myers, 33, of DeLand, did not slow down. Instead, he sped up.

Myers drove through a yard on County Road 2006 before losing control of the truck. He crashed into a ditch near the roadway and got stuck. Myers and a female passenger then jumped out of the vehicle and ran south on Cheryl Elaine Drive. The deputy briefly spotted them but quickly lost sight of both individuals.

K9 Uno Makes the Catch

Deputies set up a perimeter and called in K9 support. K9 Uno, alongside his partner Deputy Towns, tracked Myers to a home on Cheryl Elaine Drive — where Myers had crawled underneath the structure in an attempt to hide. Myers eventually crawled out to waiting deputies with K9 Uno attached to his arm.

Sheriff Rick Staly commented on the arrest: “Myers thought he could hide, but you can’t fool Uno who is trained to take a bite out of crime even if you crawl under a house. This dirtbag just won’t learn and now he’s dog bit and is, hopefully, facing a long prison term.”

Video of the arrest is available here.

Charges and Booking

Myers was transported to AdventHealth Palm Coast for medical treatment before being taken to the Flagler County Inmate Detention Facility. He is being held on no bond.

He faces the following charges stemming from the March 2 incident: grand theft of a motor vehicle, fleeing and eluding law enforcement, driving while license suspended (habitual offender), resisting arrest without violence, dangerous excessive speeding, and reckless driving.

A Separate Incident — and a Firearm

The March 2 chase was not Myers’ only recent brush with the law. On March 1 — just one day earlier — the Bunnell Police Department filed aggravated assault charges without intent to kill against Myers with the 7th Judicial Circuit State. That charge stems from a separate incident in which Myers allegedly pointed a firearm at a woman and threatened her after she refused to take part in a robbery with him.

A Pattern of Criminal History

Myers is well known to law enforcement. His Florida criminal history includes repeated arrests and court cases involving theft-related offenses, drug charges, driving while license suspended or revoked — including habitual offender-related violations — fleeing and eluding law enforcement, resisting an officer without violence, and multiple probation violations, among other offenses.

Sources: Flagler County Sheriff’s Office