Man Who Carjacked Tow Truck and Led Police on Multi-County Chase Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

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The man who led police in Maryland on a 30-mile chase after stealing a state highway help truck in February, ramming vehicles and injuring officers during a stunning act broadcast live by news helicopters, was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison.

Flavio Cesar Lanuza, 27, of Laurel, pleaded guilty in September to charges of second-degree assault on law enforcement, fleeing and eluding police resulting in injury and 11 counts of failure to remain at the scene of a crash.

Lanuza struck more than a dozen vehicles during the Feb. 16 pursuit, including a Maryland State Police cruiser that he pushed more than 50 feet, injuring a state trooper, according to court documents.

According to police, the nearly 30-mile-long chase started when four vehicles were struck in a hit-and-run on the Inner Loop of the Capital Beltway shortly before 5 p.m.

One of the drivers in the crash fled the scene and drove to a park-and-ride-lot before going off the road and striking a guard rail.

A State Highway Administration vehicle responded to the scene and checked on the driver. That’s when Maryland State Police said Lanuza got out of his vehicle and stole the state truck.

“That vehicle weighed over 14,000 pounds,” Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said after Thursday’s sentencing. “The defendant in this case was effectively driving what amounted to a tank.”

Lanuza then led police on a chase from the Capital Beltway at Interstate 95 in College Park to the area of Route 29 and Lockwood Drive in Montgomery County.

During the chase, Lanuza drove over spike strips and blew out at least one tire, proceeding to drive with the vehicle’s metal rims exposed. He eventually lost control of the vehicle and bottomed out.

“You sit there, and you watch what happened, during rush hour — I think it’s a miracle. Many of us probably think it’s a miracle that no one else was harmed because there did not seem to be any care or concern for ramming into traffic, running into police cars, running through intersections during the busiest time of the day,” McCarthy said.

Court documents said Lanuza did not heed commands to surrender, which required officers to break the truck’s windows. Even then, Lanuza resisted, “hiding his hands under his body, and using his strength to avoid being handcuffed,” court documents said.

Lanuza was already sentenced in Prince George’s County on Oct. 23 to two years in prison on crimes related to the chase that occurred there, including the original theft of the highway help truck.