LEVY COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – The Levy County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) says it has a problem with all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and dirt bike riders in the Bronson area. The say due to community complaints about reckless riders near the racetrack, they patrol these areas and when they spot these riders, they often take off.
That was the case on January 19 when deputies say a man driving a four-wheeler was following a car on Northeast 105th Avenue. Florida law states ATVs may only be operated on unpaved roadways where the posted speed limit is less than 35 mph and only during daylight hours.
They say when they attempted to stop the rider, he sped off and a short pursuit began.
Deputies say just before he ditched the ATV and ran into the woods, he tossed a bag.
Once they caught the man, they identified him as 42-year-old Michael G. Hernandez of Bronson.
They say Hernandez is well-known to area law enforcement with eight arrests in Levy County since 2015. The sheriff’s office says he has multiple felony convictions with a history of violence, including being a convicted sexual offender.
Deputies say they recovered the bag he tossed. According to them, it contained three loaded guns with extra ammunition and drugs.
They took him to the Levy County Detention Center and charged him with multiple counts of possession of firearms by a convicted felon, resisting arrest as well as several traffic violations. He is being held on a $405,000 bond.