Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies made 25 arrests this past weekend between 6 p.m. on Friday, May 10, 2024, and 6 a.m. on Monday, May 13, 2024. They handled 601 calls for service and made 141 traffic stops.
Neighborhood Vehicle Burglar Arrested, Provides False Name to Deputies
Early Saturday morning just after 1:25 a.m., deputies responded to an attempted burglary on Brittany Lane in Palm Coast after a resident was awoken to a motion alert on his security camera. In the surveillance video, he saw an unknown male trying to gain access to a vehicle in his driveway. The suspect appeared to be wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and a baseball cap. The reporting party provided a photo snapshot of the suspect from the security camera to dispatch.
Deputies responded and located a male matching the description walking near 160 Brittany Ln. The male gave a false name to deputies and claimed he had never received a state-issued identification. The reporting party positively identified the man as the one he saw on his video surveillance camera. Deputies also located a neighbor who stated one of her vehicles was unlocked and she found cigarette ash on the driver’s seat even though no one had ever smoked inside the vehicle. The suspect was arrested for Attempted Burglary of a Conveyance and Loitering or Prowling.
Upon his arrival at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility the subject was positively identified through his fingerprints as Paul Krusher, 52, a Palm Coast resident. He was also arrested on the charge of Providing a False Name to Law Enforcement. He is currently being held without bond.
Krusher was previously arrested in June 2023 for three counts of Burglary of a Conveyance, Loitering or Prowling, False Name/ID Given to LEO, and Possession of Marijuana (20g or Less) and served 134 days in jail.
“This dirt bag is the definition of why we created our 9PM Routine,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “This would-be thief walks around under cover of darkness looking for unlocked vehicles to burglarize in our neighborhoods. We already caught him once. Now it’s time he goes to prison. I also want to thank the resident who ‘saw something and said something’ after seeing this thief on his security camera. Our 9-1-1 Live technology allowed him to send a photo immediately to our Communications Center to help take a bite out of crime.”
Palm Coast Man Arrested on Second DUI After Crashing Vehicle on SR-100
At approximately 3:25 a.m. on Sunday, May 12, Deputy Patel observed a gray F-150 driving recklessly while traveling west on SR-100 in Bunnell. Deputy Patel attempted to conduct a traffic stop but the vehicle refused to stop, weaving back and forth between the two westbound lanes, and driving onto the sidewalk near Gospel Gardens.
The vehicle then struck a tree, crossed into eastbound oncoming traffic lane and crashed into a wooded area. Master Deputy Logsdon made contact with the driver, later identified as Nicholas Scarpa, 28, a Palm Coast resident. Scarpa appeared to have bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech, and had trouble standing.
Upon completion of the traffic crash investigation by Bunnell Police Department, M/D Logsdon conducted a field sobriety test on Scarpa. After failing a series of exercises, Scarpa was arrested for Driving Under the Influence with a Blood Alcohol Level (BAL) of 0.096. He was transported to Advent Health where he refused medical treatment and was then transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. He was released on $1,000 bond.
Scarpa was previously arrested for DUI in August of 2021, and on charges of Refusal to Submit BAL Test, Possession of Alprazolam, and Possession of Hydrocodone.
“It’s a miracle this impaired driver didn’t kill someone. He failed to maintain his lane and ultimately crashed his vehicle before he could finally be taken off the road,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time this reckless and drunk driver has made the poor decision to drive intoxicated.”
For bodycam and car cam of the arrest and driving: https://bit.ly/3K0LCny
Proactive Patrols Lead to Arrest of Fentanyl Trafficker
Sunday, May 12 at approximately 11:09 p.m., while patrolling Old Dixie Hwy in Bunnell, Master Deputy Gaddie observed a silver Lexus parked in the parking lot of a closed BP gas station occupied by two persons. Upon approaching the vehicle, M/D Gaddie observed the male in the passenger seat rapidly shoving his hands in his pockets and underneath his legs to hide narcotics. He also observed a fresh track mark inside his right elbow with dried blood indicative of narcotics use.
The male, later identified as James Rice, 39, of Edgewater, was asked to exit the vehicle and found to have multiple items inside his pockets. One pocket contained a folded multi-knife tool, and a cloth eyeglass pouch that contained multiple tie-off bags. When asked what was in the bags the male replied “drugs.”
Inside the bag, M/D Gaddie located numerous smaller bags containing a brown powdery substance, another with a white powdery substance and another with perforated squares and empty bags. In a search of the vehicle, deputies located another bag that was found at the feet of where Rice was sitting, which contained three hypodermic syringes. One of the syringes contained 40 units of a brown liquid substance. The white powder, brown powder, and hypodermic syringe liquids all tested positive for fentanyl. The perforated squares tested presumptive positive for LSD.
Rice was arrested for Trafficking Fentanyl (4-14 grams), Possession of LSD, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and is currently being held without bond. In totally, Deputies seized 5.55g of Fentanyl or enough to kill 2,775 people.
Deputies identified the driver as Robin King, 45, of Deland. In her front left pants pocket a plastic bag containing a white crystalized substance was found that tested positive for Methamphetamine.
King was arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and is currently being held on $3,000 bond.
“Another poison peddler found out the hard way not to even stop in Flagler County,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Through his proactive patrols, Master Deputy Gaddie was able to quickly get this poison peddler off the streets of our community before he could sell his poison.”
