Winter Haven man cuts off ankle monitor, steals golf cart before leading police on chase in the woods: WHPD
Jer'Marius Julian is accused of cutting off his ankle monitor and stealing a golf cart. Image is courtesy of the Winter Haven Police Department.
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A 20-year-old man faces multiple felony charges after police say he hacked off his electronic monitor, skipped curfew, and stole a golf cart before running from officers into a wooded area on Sunday night.
Winter Haven police tracking
What we know:
The incident began around 6:41 p.m. on Sunday, June 14, when Winter Haven officers said they received an alert from the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Officials said an ankle monitor had been cut off and was pinging near 11th St NE and Country Lane NE.
Officers responded to the area and said they found the discarded monitoring device sitting in a nearby wood line.
After identifying the defendant as 20-year-old Jer'Marius Julian, officers headed to 615 Ave. S NE in Winter Haven to find him.
Officers said they spoke with Julian's mother about the tampered device. She reportedly told investigators that her son left the home at around 11:00 a.m. and had failed to return for his 6 p.m. curfew.
According to the Winter Haven Police Department, officers received a theft call shortly after 9:40 p.m. about a golf cart being stolen outside a business at 5999 Dundee Road.
The victims told police they heard the cart "beeping" and saw a man backing it up before driving east toward Highway 27, where they lost sight of him.
While officers investigated the theft, a traffic complaint came in about a golf cart matching that description traveling on Cypress Gardens Blvd. at Highway 27.
Officers searching the area spotted Julian on the cart and tried to pull him over near Highway 27 and Mountain Lake Cutoff Rd.
Police said Julian drove the golf cart into the woods, jumped off, and ran into the thick brush. Winter Haven and Lake Wales officers chased Julian through the trees, eventually catching him and taking him into custody.
Julian was arrested and charged with one count of grand theft of a motor vehicle, tampering with an electronic monitoring device, and violation of juvenile probation.
Open tracking details
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed what original offenses placed Julian on juvenile probation or required him to wear an electronic monitoring device.
It remains unclear whether Julian has retained legal representation or when he is scheduled to make his first court appearance.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Winter Haven Police Department, which explained how the tracking, theft, and subsequent foot pursuit occurred, as well as booking records from the Polk County Sheriff's Office.