A Mascotte man was arrested Tuesday night on a multitude of charges after a high-speed chase through Summerfield that involved multiple traffic collisions and the combined effort of two sheriff’s offices.
A Marion County sheriff’s deputy responded to the area near the 17600 block of U.S. Hwy. 27/441, where a black Hyundai had collided with a white Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. The deputy made contact with a Lake County sheriff’s deputy who was parked behind the Hyundai. He also spoke with a victim who said he had followed and assisted another Lake County sheriff’s deputy in locating 38-year-old Jeremy Rashon Tarrand after he fled on foot from the Hyundai.
The Marion County sheriff’s deputy met up with the Lake County deputy behind a residence in the 10800 block of S.E. 176th Street in Spruce Creek South. The Lake County deputy had taken Tarrand into custody after a brief foot chase, a report states.
The Lake County deputy said he saw the Hyundai driven by Tarrand crash into a Mazda sports car at the intersection of S. U.S. Hwy. 27/441 and S.E. Hwy. 42, causing about $5,000 damage to the Mazda. He said Tarrand also failed to stop at a red light before crashing into an electrical box controlling traffic signals at the same intersection, causing about $15,000 damage and disabling the signals, the report says.
The Lake County deputy said the Hyundai continued traveling south on S. U.S. Hwy. 27/441 and then collided with a black Toyota sedan, causing about $5,000 in damage. Deputies continued to follow the Hyundai when Tarrand fled that crash scene and his vehicle eventually became disabled in the 17600 block of U.S. Hwy. 27/441.
The Lake County deputy who took Tarrand into custody said he was holding a plastic bag in his hand that contained a white rock-like substance that field-tested positive for cocaine. He said Tarrand ignored his commands and tried to crush the bag and empty out the substance, so he was forced to deploy his Taser. He said several more plastic bags containing the white rock-like substance were located in the immediate area, as well as a plastic bag containing a black substance that tested positive for heroin and a blue plastic AT&T bag containing a large amount of cash. He added that a blue zipper bag also was located that contained several dozen small plastic bags that appeared to be new and unused, the report says, adding that the cocaine weighed 324 grams and the heroin weighed 73 grams.
The victim who was driving the Chevrolet Silverado said Tarrand approached the passenger side of his vehicle after the collision, reached his hand into a bag and said he had a firearm as he demanded to be driven to another county. He said Tarrand then entered his vehicle without his permission and placed a large amount of cash on the seat and again demanded to be driven to another county, the report says.
The victim said he believed Tarrand had a firearm and would use it, which caused him to be in fear. He said he removed the keys from his ignition and exited his vehicle to get away from Tarrand, who then fled the area on foot, the report says.
Deputies searched the Hyundai and located a large plastic bag containing a green leafy substance that weighed 245 grams and tested positive for cannabis. They also located a digital scale and 31 blue oval pills that were identified as Sildenafil Citrate 100mg, which requires a prescription, the report says.
A computer checked showed that Tarrand’s driver’s license had been revoked several times, with the most recent being on Oct. 5, 2010 in Hernando County for fleeing or attempting to elude police officers. It also showed two active revocations as a habitual traffic offender for a period of five years, the report says.
After being read his rights, Tarrand said he was “caught fair and square” with the substances he identified as “tar,” cocaine and marijuana. He also said he didn’t know how much money was in the Hyundai and the bag recovered from the bushes, the report says.
Tarrand denied having a firearm or threatening the crash victim. He admitted to offering the victim money to take him out of the area but claimed he told him to show him the money first. He said the victim them took the money, exited his vehicle and started running in the opposite direction while yelling that Tarrand was trying to rob him, the report says.
Tarrand, who also denied entering the victim’s vehicle, confirmed he was driving the Hyundai when it crashed and claimed he was driving aggressively because “he thought Marion County deputies were going to attempt to pull him over.”
Tarrand was arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail, where he was charged with carjacking with a firearm, simple assault, unarmed burglary, four counts of hit and run/leaving the scene of a crash involving damage to property, resisting without violence, driving with license suspended or revoked (habitual), trafficking cocaine, trafficking heroin, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of a harmful New Legend drug without a prescription and possession of drug equipment. He was being held on $114,000 bond and his next court date hasn’t yet been set, jail records show.
