Suspected catalytic converter thieves arrested after they crashed into a ditch

Two Jacksonville residents are locked up in the Green Roof Inn after they were discovered in a vehicle that has been linked to the thefts of at least two catalytic converters in Flagler County.

45-year-old David Robert Robinson and 37-year-old Thomas Lamont Blocker were arrested around 11 o’clock Monday night (September 12, 2022) by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) near the Wells Fargo bank branch at 836 Belle Terre Parkway in Palm Coast after they fled from a traffic stop and crashed their police-looking vehicle.

Detectives and FCSO’s Real Time Crime Center identified a suspect vehicle after catalytic converters were reported stolen from vehicles over the weekend. As a result, patrol deputies were alerted to be on the lookout for the suspect vehicle, which looked like an old white Ford Crown Victoria.

On Monday night, FCSO patrol deputies spotted the suspect vehicle on Belle Terre and attempted a traffic stop near Market Avenue, but the driver - later identified as Robinson - fled and crashed the vehicle. Robinson fled the crash scene on foot but was quickly caught by deputies when they found him hiding behind bushes near the bank. The passenger and second suspect - later identified as Blocker - surrendered to deputies at the crash scene.

During the investigation, multiple drugs and drug paraphernalia were located in the car. Also found were saws and saw blades commonly used by catalytic converter thieves, some of which had been used.

“These arrests are the result of great teamwork, investigative work and old-fashioned police work,” said Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly. “Our Real-Time Crime Center analysts identified a suspect vehicle in Flagler County over the weekend that was believed to be involved in the earlier thefts and warned our deputies to be on the lookout for it. Now we have two more Jacksonville dirtbags that made the mistake of coming to Flagler County to commit crimes but are now behind bars where they belong.”

Robinson is held without bond at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility on eight different charges, including five felonies. Those include driving with a suspended license (habitual), possession of cocaine, possession of fentanyl, aggravated fleeing with injury or damage and crash with damage to vehicle or property.The other three charges are misdemeanors, including possession of marijuana under 20 grams, resisting an

Blocker is held in the same location on $6,000 bond for felony charges of possession of cocaine and possession of fentanyl along with misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana under 20 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Neither man has a prior criminal record in Flagler County, but Robinson does have five prior convictions for driving with a suspended license, all of which occurred between November 2000 and June 2008.

The Ford has been towed to FCSO’s impound yard, where it will be processed for evidence in the suspected catalytic converter thefts. That investigation is on-going.