Maryland Police Chase Stolen Tow Truck Ends in Arrest

BETHESDA –

Maryland State Police have announced the arrest of a man suspected of stealing a Maryland State Highway Administration vehicle and leading authorities on a high-speed pursuit from Prince George’s County to Montgomery County for nearly an hour on Friday night.

The incident began on Friday evening before 5:00 p.m. when troopers responded to a hit-and-run crash involving four vehicles on I-495. One of the drivers involved, identified as Flavio Cesar Lanuza, 27, of Laurel, Maryland, fled the scene of the crash in a Ford Ranger, eventually crashing into a guard rail at the I-495/I-95 Park and Ride lot.

When a Maryland State Highway Administration vehicle arrived to check on Lanuza, he abandoned his Ford Ranger and stole the agency’s vehicle, initiating a dramatic chase through busy streets and a grassy field where he drove through electrical wires.

The pursuit escalated when Lanuza’s stolen tow truck collided with several police cruisers near southbound Route 29 in the area of Prelude Drive. However, Maryland State Police and Montgomery County Police were able to apprehend the suspect around 6:30 p.m. after his vehicle became disabled in the 10700 block of Columbia Pike in Silver Spring, Maryland. Lanuza was arrested at the scene and taken to the hospital for treatment.

Lanuza is now facing pending charges including vehicle theft and first-degree assault as the investigation into the incident continues.