Suspect Identified Following Theft Of MDOT SHA Vehicle, Pursuit In Prince George’s, Montgomery Counties

Maryland State Police arrested a man suspected of stealing a Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration vehicle and leading police on a pursuit through Prince George’s and Montgomery counties and striking more than a dozen vehicles Friday evening.

Per Maryland State Police: Shortly before 5 p.m., troopers from the Maryland State Police College Park responded to a hit-and-run crash involving four vehicles at the inner loop of Interstate-495 at the Greenbelt Metro Station. One of the motorists, who was driving a Ford Ranger, fled the scene. According to a preliminary investigation, the driver of the Ford drove into the I-495/I-95 Park and Ride lot where it went off the road and struck a guard rail.

A SHA CHART vehicle responded to the scene and checked the welfare of the driver of the Ford. The driver of the Ford exited his vehicle and stole the SHA vehicle. Troopers from the College Park Barrack attempted to stop the suspect on the outer loop of I-495, but the suspect struck two vehicles and fled the scene.

According to investigators, troopers from the Rockville, Forestville and College Park barracks, located the vehicle at about 5:50 p.m. in the area of Briggs Chaney Road at Greenmount Road in Calverton, Maryland.

The SHA truck soon entered a parking lot off of Beltsville Road at Calverton Road, ran off the road and struck a pole attached to a powerline. The suspect then rammed a Maryland State Police vehicle and several civilian vehicles before entering onto Priscilla Road in Montgomery County.

Maryland State Police and Montgomery County Police captured the suspect at about 6:30 p.m. after his vehicle became disabled in the 10700 block of Columbia Pike in Silver Spring, Maryland. The Maryland State Police Aviation Command also assisted in the search for the suspect.

According to a preliminary investigation, the suspect is alleged to have struck 13 vehicles, which led to a civilian and two law enforcement members, a Maryland state trooper and a Montgomery County Police officer, being transported to area hospitals for treatment of their injuries.

The suspect, identified as Flavio Cesar Lanuza, 27, of Laurel, Maryland, was arrested at the scene and transported to Suburban Hospital for treatment of his injuries. Charges are pending in this case, including vehicle theft and first-degree assault.

The case remains under investigation