Sandy MaloneOkaloosa County, FL – A Florida man was captured by law enforcement officers on Saturday morning after he tried to outrun them on a John Deere lawnmower.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that 40-year old Dusty Mobley evaded deputies who were trying to serve warrants on him in January by jumping into a swamp.
The deputies were trying to talk to Mobley in connection with the theft of a $40,000 boat.
Mobley was standing on the stolen boat when law enforcement officers arrived, according to the sheriff’s department.
Deputies said Mobley dove off the boat into the swamp and disappeared.
Investigators said the suspect had used heavy machinery to cut a hole in a metal building to steal the vessel from a business located on Highway 5 in Baker, according to the press release.
Sheriff’s deputies finally caught up with Mobley at about 9:30 a.m. on July 9 at his residence on Pasco Broxson Circle.
The sheriff’s department said the suspect “put a John Deere riding lawnmower into high gear and tried to outrun pursuing deputies.”
Deputies deployed Tasers at the fleeing suspect and managed to take Mobley into custody, according to the press release.
Officials said that when he was arrested, Mobley had a revolver and a handcuff key in his possession.
He also had a pipe with residue of methamphetamine in it, according to the Okaloosa sheriff.
Mobley is facing a slew of charges that included grand theft, grand theft of a vehicle, felony criminal mischief, two counts of resisting an officer, possession of a concealed weapon by a felon, carrying a concealed handcuff key, possession of drug paraphernalia, and felony failure to appear among others.
Mobley was booked into the Okaloosa County Jail in Crestview and held without bond, according to the press release.
Holly Matkin
