A Leesburg man was detained after stealing a car from the Elks Club and crashing into a tree while being pursued by deputies.
Officers arrived to the Elks Club, situated at 804 Beecher St., for an auto theft involving 36-year-old Antonio Duran McCovery approximately 1:40 a.m. Saturday, according to a Leesburg Police Department arrest report. The vehicle’s owner had been inside the club for an hour and returned to find her 2016 Honda Pilot was not where she had left it.
The owner explained that she parked her vehicle in the back of the company. She still had her keys and had not lent her car to anyone. If she got close enough to it with her keys, she could open it by hitting a button on the handle, according to the report.
She also had two phones in the vehicle. She used the “Find My iPhone” feature to locate the vehicle, which was at the intersection of Laurie Lane and 13th Street. Officers rushed to the scene and discovered the phones in a patch of grass north of the crossing. According to the report, the vehicle wasn’t there.
However, a search of the area revealed its position as the Stock Subdivision. Deputies from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office discovered McCovery running on foot in the backyards of Pembrook Drive homes. He was arrested after a brief pursuit.
According to authorities, McCovery collided with a parked vehicle in the driveway of a residence in the 1400 block of Pembrook Drive during the chase, inflicting extensive damage. According to the report, he also slammed into a tree, causing substantial front-end damage and deploying his airbags.
McCovery stated that he was at Elk Lodge when a woman named “Chance” gave him permission to use the vehicle. He also indicated that he consumed “fentanyl” and was transferred to UF Health Leesburg Hospital, 600 E Dixie Ave., for medical clearance, according to the report.
A review of his driving record revealed that he had repeatedly failed to fulfill court financial responsibilities as well as criminal failures to pay. The study stated that these dates ranged from January 26, 2009, to October 25, 2018. He did not have a valid driver’s license and had four previous convictions for driving while his license was suspended, according to the report.
McCovery was detained on allegations of fleeing/eluding police, driving with a suspended license (second offense), causing damage to a vehicle or property, and theft. He was taken to the Lake County Jail and freed after paying a $6,500 bond.
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