Two men arrested after fleeing from Law Enforcement across Volusia County.

Written by Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News 

Volusia County Sheriff’s Office aided the New Smyrna Beach Police Department Thursday in arresting a fleeing suspected drug dealer and his passenger after leading Police Officers and Sheriff Deputies from New Smyrna through DeLand before finally being apprehended in the parking lot of the Ormond Beach Wal-Mart.

According to reports, Laterrick Jones, 30, of New Smyrna Beach, was driving the silver Honda Accord that fled from an attempted traffic stop Thursday morning. A New Smyrna Beach Police Officer saw the vehicle swerving on the road with the driver-side door open. The car nearly collided with people on bicycles while the driver offered to sell them drugs.

The Honda initially stopped but then sped off from police and headed west to DeLand, where Air One monitored its route from overhead. The vehicle continued to flee north on State Road 11 and headed back east on State Road 40 to Ormond Beach, where the driver and passenger decided to bail out in the busy parking lot of Wal-Mart.

Jones fled into the Wal-Mart, dropping several items, including a bag of drugs (heroin, crack cocaine, and meth) and a cell phone that was still actively scanning law enforcement radio traffic as he ran. Jones proceeded to run back outside into the parking lot and was stopped by one of the new Volusia County Sheriff’s Office unmarked units assigned to address aggressive driving.

Jonathon Watson, 32, of Daytona Beach, exited the vehicle and began casually walking away in the parking lot before being spotted by Volusia County Sheriff Captain Ben Yisrael and taken into custody without incident.

New Smyrna Beach police charged Watson with resisting an officer without violence and took him to Volusia County Branch Jail. He posted a $500 bond and was released from the jail Thursday evening.

Jones's charges are fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement and driving without a valid license. The New Smyrna Beach Police Department also charged him with fleeing, trafficking in heroin, and possession of crack cocaine and methamphetamine with intent to sell. He remains in custody at the Volusia County Branch Jail as of Friday morning, with a total bond of $43,500.