TAMPA, Fla. — The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) arrested a man for allegedly stealing diesel and then crashing into a deputy's car before driving off.
According to HCSO, Kiusler Perez Ortiz, 24, was seen at a Mobil gas station on Hillsborough Ave with his vehicle parked over an underground diesel fuel tank's fill port.
Deputies arrived and tried talking to Ortiz, but he refused to cooperate, HCSO said.
That's when Ortiz put his vehicle into reverse and then accelerated into the rear end of an unmarked HCSO vehicle. HCSO said he nearly hit a deputy as he sped off.
Deputies pursued Ortiz and eventually arrested him in a wooded area off of Sunray Drive.
He was charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon, fleeing to elude high-speed, reckless driving, criminal mischief of $1,000 or more, attaching a tag not assigned, and resisting without violence.
The investigation is still active and HCSO said there may be additional charges later on.
PAY TO STAY
A Florida lawmaker says changes need to be made after the ABC Action News I-Team revealed the impact of Florida's "pay to stay" law, which allows inmates to be charged $50 a day, and in some cases, beyond the time they actually served.
