WILLISTON, FL (352today.com) – Levy County Sheriff Office (LCSO) deputies say they have apprehended a man who has been evading arrest for four months.
LCSO says 21-year-old Malik Hayes had outstanding felony arrest warrants in Levy, Alachua and Marion Counties and has been eluding capture since March.
This all changed Tuesday night, when detectives received a tip that Hayes was at the Arbours Apartments in Williston.
They immediately set up a perimeter to conduct surveillance.
The sheriff’s office was informed that Hayes was expected to be a passenger in a white car driven by a woman.
Deputies spotted the white vehicle exiting the complex and tried to block it from exiting.
They say the driver did not stop, and instead chose to drive closer to the shoulder as deputies closed in.
A deputy then used his vehicle to force the driver to a stop.
Deputies say Hayes then jumped out of the back seat, dove over the driver’s seat, and pushed the driver’s foot down to accelerate the car while shouting, “Go! Go! Go!” as the white sedan rammed into the side of the deputy’s car.
The attempt was not successful, and Hayes was apprehended.
When deputies conducted a search of the vehicle, they say they found a loaded semi-automatic pistol with an extended capacity magazine in the back seat door panel Hayes had been seated.
They booked Hayes into the Levy County Detention Center and charged him with:
- Aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer
- Resisting arrest
- Violation of a pretrial release condition (possession of a firearm)
Bond set at $125,000 for the aggravated battery and resisting arrest charges, but no bond assigned to the violation charge.
Deputies say Hayes will be held in Levy County for charges there and later will be transported to Marion and Alachua Counties to face additional charges.