BIG COPPITT KEY — A 20-year-old man who reportedly led county deputies, Key West police and state wildlife officers on a high-speed chase through the Lower Keys Sunday morning faces a litany of charges, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Warrants issued for Adrian Diaz of Big Coppitt Key charged him with grand theft auto, driving with a suspended license, burglary of a vehicle, theft, possession of cocaine, reckless driving, fleeing and eluding police and possession of burglary tools.
The case began when a 2006 Lexus was reported stolen at 8 a.m. on Cudjoe Key. as well as a chainsaw from a nearby truck parked at the same residence, reports say.
A short time after the report, Deputy Alexandra Davis spotted the vehicle northbound on Cudjoe Key. She attempted to stop it, but the driver refused to stop and began to drive very dangerously at high rates of speed so she stopped pursuing for fear of endangering other people on the roadway, reports say.
Between 8:22 a.m. and 9:45 a.m., the stolen vehicle was spotted numerous times by deputies, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation officers and by Key West police officers.
The officers attempted to stop the vehicle repeatedly. Each time, the driver would flee in such a dangerous manner they could not pull over the vehicle, nor could they stop it safely, reports say.
The Lexus’ tires were spiked by Deputy Ken Fricke at Mile Marker 13, but it continued to travel onto Big Coppitt Key with three flat tires before it was located abandoned on Ed Swift Road. A pair of black gloves were found on the passenger seat and cocaine was also found inside the car, reports say.
Deputy Davis subsequently received photographs and videos showing Diaz with the stolen vehicle, reports say. Diaz was identified from previous law enforcement contacts.
One of the videos showed a man with Diaz who was identified from previous law enforcement contacts who reportedly gave them further information pertinent to the case, reports say.
Warrants were issued for Diaz.
Information in the Crime Report is obtained from reports provided by area law enforcement agencies.
If you have information that could help solve a crime in the Florida Keys, call Crime Stoppers, 800-346-TIPS.