A man named Van Damme tried to pull off a Hollywood-style getaway in a stolen truck, but his action sequence came to an anticlimactic end on the shoulder of I-75 early Thursday morning.
Ernest Van Damme, 34, was arrested by Ocala police after allegedly breaking into Gary Yeomans Ford, swiping a set of keys, and taking off in a brand-new Ford F-250—without a tag, but with plenty of police attention.
Officers responded to a trespassing call at the dealership around 1:50 a.m. and spotted Van Damme speeding off in the truck. A chase ensued, with Van Damme running a red light and pushing the truck to 100 mph before deciding a freeway shoulder was as good a place as any to call it quits.
Inside the stolen vehicle, police found an assortment of tools and paraphernalia that suggested Van Damme wasn’t planning on stopping at just one crime scene. The loot included stolen keys, a hammer, a machete, a hatchet, drug paraphernalia, and methamphetamine—making it clear that he came prepared for more than just a test drive.
Detectives later connected him to another vehicle burglary that same night through security footage, tacking on more charges to his already hefty list, which includes commercial burglary, grand theft auto, and fleeing police.
Van Damme was booked into the Marion County Jail, where the only high-speed chases are in the commissary line.
