An 18-year-old Ocala man was arrested after he fled from a Marion County Sheriff’s Office sergeant while riding an unregistered motorcycle.
On Monday, the sergeant was conducting routine traffic control near the 6000 block of S U.S. Highway 441 in a marked patrol car. According to the MCSO report, the sergeant observed a motorcycle, later identified as a yellow 2014 Suzuki RM-Z, that was traveling southbound at a high rate of speed.
The sergeant estimated that the motorcycle was traveling at approximately 80 miles per hour, which is 25 miles per hour above the posted speed limit. When the motorcycle passed the sergeant, the rider, later identified as Rafael Yaciel Custodio Santos, lifted the motorcycle’s front tire off the roadway and performed a “wheelie.”
The sergeant entered the patrol car, activated the emergency lights and siren, and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Custodio Santos refused to stop and headed northbound on U.S Highway 441. The MCSO report indicated that Custodio Santos was “taunting” the sergeant.
Additional MCSO deputies joined the pursuit, and the sergeant drove alongside the motorcycle in an attempt to identify the driver. Custodio Santos allegedly attempted to strike the patrol car with the motorcycle, and the sergeant performed an evasive maneuver to avoid a collision.
The pursuit came to an end when Custodio Santos lost control of the motorcycle near the Walmart located at 2600 SW 19th Avenue Road. Custodio Santos was identified as the driver of the motorcycle and he was detained in handcuffs.
During an interview with an MCSO corporal, Custodio Santos admitted that he saw the sergeant attempt to conduct a traffic stop. He was aware that he was running from law enforcement, and he advised that he ran because he did not have a tag on the motorcycle.
A records check was conducted on the motorcycle and it was revealed that the motorcycle was unregistered. MCSO also learned that Custodio Santos did not have a motorcycle endorsement.
Custodio Santos was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $17,000 bond. He is facing felony charges for aggravated assault on an officer and fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer, along with misdemeanor charges for operating a motorcycle without a license and failure to register a motor vehicle.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.