The Maryland State Police arrested a man suspected of stealing a hotel shuttle van and leading police on a pursuit Monday night in Anne Arundel County, the suspect, identified as David Antonio Diaz, 25, of Rockville, Md. is charged with the unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, theft of cellphones and money, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, attempting to elude uniformed police by failing to stop, attempting to elude police in an official police vehicle by failing to stop, driving on a suspended license, driving on a suspended license under certain provisions, reckless driving, negligent driving, willfully driving at a slow speed impeding traffic and unsafe lane changes.
Shortly before 9 p.m. on Monday, a trooper from the Annapolis Barrack observed a Residence Inn/Marriot Hotel shuttle van being operated in a dangerous manner by weaving back and forth across lanes on southbound Route 97 in the Crownsville area. The trooper activated his emergency equipment and advised the barrack that the vehicle was not stopping. The van continued south on Route 97 at approximately 30 mph the whole time. During this time the vehicle continued at 30 mph while weaving from the left shoulder to the right shoulder of the road.
Once on Route 50, the trooper managed to get in front of the van at the Severn River Bridge where he deployed stop sticks which disabled the two left tires on the van. The van continued across the Severn River Bridge at approximately 5 mph and eventually turned onto Route 450 and went past the World War II Memorial and over the Naval Academy Bridge.
At this point, the van, which had been reported stolen from the Residence Inn by Marriott hotel in Hanover, Md., continued on Annapolis Street until it became too disabled to move at Monterey Avenue. There was a standoff for 90 minutes before Diaz came out of the van and surrendered to police. Diaz, who had been reported missing in Montgomery County, was taken into custody, transported to the Annapolis Commissioner’s Office, charged and eventually released on his personal recognizance.
Annapolis Police and the United States Naval Academy Police (USNA) assisted in this incident.
