A Lake Miona teenager was jailed for the second time within a week, days after his mother had called him and ordered him to turn himself in at the Wildwood Police Department.
Joshua Seth Graham, 19, who lives at 10010 Lake Miona Way, was arrested Feb. 17 on a felony charge of fleeing police and misdemeanor charges of driving while license suspended and attaching a license plate not assigned. He was released after posting $3,000 bond.
Graham was back behind the wheel on Saturday driving 71 miles per hour in a 50 mph zone when he turned from U.S. Hwy. 27/441 onto Miller Boulevard, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department. As a police officer began a pursuit, Graham sped away at 100 mph, the report said. A witness identified the driver as Graham and gave police the teen’s phone number. An officer called Graham and asked to meet him at the nearby Circle K. Graham met the officer at the service station and admitted he fled because he does not have a valid license and had an illicit license plate attached to his vehicle.
This is exactly the same type of behavior that got Graham into hot water last week in Wildwood. He had been weaving in and out of traffic and attempted to evade pursuit by an unmarked police car with its emergency lights and siren activated. Officers ran the license plate number and discovered it belonged on another vehicle. Police contacted Graham’s mother, who agreed to call her son and tell him to show up at the police station.
“Graham understood the severity of the situation and wanted to own up to his mistakes,” the arresting officer wrote in the report.
Graham’s driver’s license had been suspended in January for failure to pay traffic fines.
He is now facing additional charges of driving while license suspended and improper tag. He was booked at the Lake County Jail on $1,000 bond and as of Tuesday night, he had not bonded out.
