Man arrested for stealing 93 gallons of diesel fuel, striking Hillsborough deputy's car as he fled
By: Deputies arrested a man after he attempted to steal 93 gallons of diesel fuel from a Mobil gas station on Hillsborough Avenue, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
The incident reportedly happened around 3:43 a.m. Saturday, when deputies saw 24-year-old Kiusler Perez Ortiz with his car parked on top of an underground diesel fuel tank's fill port at the closed station.
Once deputies attempted to talk with him, Ortiz put his car into reverse before quickly accelerating forward, striking a patrol car and nearly hitting a deputy, the sheriff's office said.
Law enforcement followed Ortiz on Hillsborough Avenue into Pinellas County before he was eventually arrested in a wooded area off Sunray Drive, according to deputies.
Hillsborough deputies say Ortiz is charged with:
* Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer with a Deadly Weapon
* Fleeing to Elude High-Speed
* Reckless Driving
* Criminal Mischief $1,000 or More
* Attaching Tag Not Assigned
* Resist Without Violence
The sheriff's office says additional charges against Ortiz are pending.