FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. — Two Gainesville residents were arrested Monday morning following a prolonged standoff with deputies after a suspicious U-Haul truck was reported parked beneath the Hammock Dunes Bridge, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident began when the Flagler County Communications Center received a call about a U-Haul parked on the sidewalk near North Ocean Shore Boulevard and Camino Del Mar Parkway. The caller reported an individual standing in front of the truck and behaving suspiciously.
When an FCSO deputy arrived, he located the U-Haul parked beneath the bridge as described. As he approached, the deputy overheard a female voice yelling about money. After announcing his presence, the driver closed the door, shifted the truck out of park, and drove forward before briefly stopping and then fleeing again.
Deputies attempted a traffic stop near North Ocean Shore Boulevard and Island Estates Parkway, but the driver fled south on A1A. The Flagler Beach Police Department deployed stop sticks, successfully disabling the vehicle.
The driver, identified as 48-year-old May Ling Ip of Gainesville, and her passenger, 40-year-old Jamie Allen Mays of Gainesville, refused to exit the truck for more than an hour. Deputies used drones to maintain visual contact while FCSO’s BearCat and SWAT Team responded to the scene.
After repeated refusals to comply, SWAT deputies deployed distraction devices and less-lethal tools, breaking the truck’s mirrors and driver-side window. Aerosol spray was then deployed, prompting Ip to exit the vehicle and attempt to flee toward the beach. She was quickly apprehended by K-9 Guapo and his handler, Corporal Andrew Cangialosi, after resisting arrest and attempting to bite a sergeant.
Mays continued to refuse commands until K-9 Mako was deployed into the truck, leading him to surrender without further incident.
Ip was arrested on multiple charges, including fleeing and eluding with lights and sirens activated, battery on a law enforcement officer, attempted aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest without violence, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana under 20 grams. Mays was charged with resisting arrest without violence. Both were transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where they await bond.
“These two suspects refused to obey lawful commands to exit the vehicle for over an hour, disrupting traffic and forcing us to use a significant number of resources,” said Rick Staly, Sheriff of Flagler County. “Ip quickly learned that our K-9s will take a bite out of crime. Mays finally made a good decision by surrendering when the K-9 was about to bite him.”
Sheriff Staly also praised deputies for their handling of the incident and thanked the caller who reported the suspicious activity. “I’m very proud of our deputies for calmly handling this incident and bringing it to a successful conclusion without any serious injuries,” he said. “The caller clearly saw something wasn’t right and said something.”
According to the sheriff’s office, both suspects have prior criminal histories. Ip has previous arrests for drug possession, obstruction, trespassing, and failure to appear. Mays is a registered sex offender with prior convictions for lewd and lascivious battery and a history of drug and battery offenses.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.