Anthony Romine is the 29-year-old resident of Elk River Drive in Ormond Beach and two-time state-prison offender who Saturday faked his way out of the Flagler County jail on a bogus ailment then escaped his guard at the hospital, leading local authorities on an expensive seven-hour chase that alerted county residents, ending in his re-arrest. He is unlikely to make it through the coming court proceedings without additional prison time.
Two years ago he was convicted of two grand theft charges in Volusia County, including the theft of a car. He served his second state prison stint, a short one. This year he was charged with armed burglary, theft and forgery in Volusia. He was also charged with aggravated battery after smashing another inmate’s head with a tablet.
On April 3, he allegedly stole a Walmart employee’s Speed E-Bike worth $300. The next day, a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy investigating a separate matter involving Romine noticed a bike that matched the description of the stolen one, leaning near Room 115 at the Palm Coast Econo Lodge , where Romine was staying with his girlfriend.
Between the deputy’s observations, the Real Time Crime Center’s facial recognition–and a neck tattoo–and Walmart surveillance video, Romine was identified as the alleged bike thief and arrested on a theft charge, along with a series of other charges unrelated to that theft–two out-of-county warrants, drug possession (meth), lying to a cop about his identity, and forgery. He bonded out four days later, posting $55,000 bond.
In May, citing the accumulating cases in Flagler and Volusia counties, the State Attorney’s Office filed a motion to revoke Romione’s bond. Circuit Judge Terence Perkins granted the motion and ordered the rearrest of Romine. He was booked again at the Flagler County jail on July 3.
On Saturday, he faked an illness–as he himself would later tell a sheriff’s deputy–so deputies would be forced to take him to the hospital, where he had planned an escape. He did just that: he faked paralysis.
Early Saturday morning, Palm Coast residents got an alert on their phones and by email that Romine had escaped from the hospital. What the alert did not say is that the deputy guarding him had fallen asleep, as a person closely familiar with the incident at the hospital told FlaglerLive, and that Romine, who was in the in-patient ward, got up and walked out.
A few hours later, Romine was back at the same hospital, this time with dog bites after he had once again ran from deputies who’d located him at about 1:30 p.m. near the Amoco gas station, by the intersection of State Road 100 and I-95. He had in mind to head back to Ohio, where he is from. The seven-hour search had involved a K-9 Unit, a drone, Flagler County Fire Rescue’s FireFlight helicopter, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office’s Air One helicopter, and bloodhounds from Tomoka State prison in Volusia County.
The deputy who spotted him parked his patrol car, its emergency lights on, and ordered Romine to stop and walk toward him. Romine ignored him and ran into the woods.
Additional deputies arrived and set up a perimeter. One of the deputies was the police dog Neo, who went into the woods with his handler, and soon was on Romine’s trail. Neo located Romine, was set loose and attacked him as he’d hidden under a pile of dead leaves. According to his arrest report–and the video footage below, from a deputy’s bodycam–Neo bit his right arm and did not let go. An agonizing Romine instinctively tried to push the dog away, which became a felony charge of assaulting a law enforcement officer, and drew another bite on his thumb.
He was arrested and taken to the hospital for treatment before he was returned to the jail with the new charges.
“All he accomplished was to add additional arrests to his list of crimes and got bitten by our K-9, who gets a special treat for taking ‘a bite out of crime’ when he tried to flee again,” Sheriff Rick Staly was quoted as saying in a release. “Now that he has been apprehended, we will start a review of the incident to determine how the deputy assigned to watch him was distracted that resulted in his escape.”
A three-time prison reoffender would see a sentence aggravated significantly by the fact, but the three prison sentences would have had to occur within a 10-year span. Romine appears to be able to barely escape that window by a matter of months, since his first prison stint ended in late 2013.
Skibum says
We all make mistakes, and this will certainly be a lesson for the deputy who, according to this report, fell asleep on the job while he was at the hospital with the responsibility of maintaining custody of this felon. I’m not convinced that the felon learned much due to the fact that his previous prison stints hasn’t shown to have had much of a negative impact on his behavior because he is still making poor choices and committing additional crimes. But if anything has a chance of helping him make better choices in the future, that K-9 that chomped down on his arm is my bet for a lesson this felon will never forget! I understand the K-9 earned a special treat for his capture, and it is well deserved!
Steve says
Send him back to OHIO.
Billy says
Another Palm coast outstanding citizen
tulip says
How can a person pretend to be paralyzed while in a hospital with doctors and nurses examining him and blood tests etc? I would think that an arm or leg or something would involuntarily move if a person jabbed him unexpectedly.
Bill Boots says
Good Doggie, give him a treat Sheriff, the use of dogs is much safer than using humans in that situation.
Shark says
It’s amazing how FCSO takes all the credit for his apprehension. On the date he was captured I called FCSO to tell them I saw the suspect on the west side of the pond on the exit ramp from I95 to SH100. He was wearing black shorts and was shoeless and shirtless. As I passed by I observed the exact location where he duked into the woods and subsequently relayed this information to FCSO. Twenty minutes later I passed by that location and observed several FCSO units along with their K-( unit entering the woods. It was from this location that they apprehended him hours later in the day. There might be a hint of a retired New Jersey State Trooper in this narrative,
FlaglerLive says
In fairness to the FCSO, the agency’s release did credit the apprehension to “see something, say something” in bold, and the sheriff himself was quoted as saying that he commended “the community for ‘seeing something, saying something’ until this” suspect was captured.
JimboXYZ says
“He was wearing black shorts and was shoeless and shirtless.”
Probably on his way to the beach to blend in for relative normalcy of appearance ? Escaping Advent, his best chance might’ve been for heading towards the Lehigh Bike Trails ? But maybe being Volusia County, unfamiliar with his options for escape routes. SR100 is too well traveled & visible. Opting for Lehigh Trails, he might’ve even considered assaulting a cyclist to commandeer a bicycle for faster than on foot transportation ? Then again, maybe didn’t think that far ahead in the game of cops & criminals ? This great escape was doomed for failure without assistance. More surprised he was able to remain at large for the 7 hours he eluded capture ?
wild bill n says
where or who posted the $55,000 bond — no way he came up with the 10%????
JimboXYZ says
I think you’re being overly optimistic for this individual. Reality is, his criminal record won’t disappear. The hand he has been dealt, is never going to win in the poker game of life. He never will have the option(s) of making better decisions short of a scratch off or picking numbers correctly for a lottery win. And even with a lottery win, I’m thinking he screws that windfall of good fortune up too. Expectations should fall in line with realities of the facts. What he pulled was the highlight of the game of life he is playing. A decade of poor choice for criminal acts behind him, it’s most likely going to be a hard life for the duration of his life. Politicians talk of hope, the great escape was his best hope for even 7 hours of relative normalcy for freedom & that was spent being hunted like an animal with K-9’s. At the end of 7 hours, hungry & mentally & physically exhausted could be added to the description. A day in July 2024 FL heat & sun, dodging thunderstorms ? That will take the motivation & ambition out of anyone. As bad as a jail/prison cell is, has to be better than homelessness for amenities ?
As for the deputy/officer in charge of he prisoner, falling asleep on the job, that’s cause for being fired, easily at least re-assignment for a lesser task of responsibility ? Let’s not empower that as a mistake. There’s too much at stake with the record the inmate already has. The incarcerated has already escalated their record as a threat to others. As slow as traffic moves on SR-100 & he traffic lights that would create an opportunity for a victimization, we are fortunate there wasn’t a car jacking or worse during this escape. Put a child in that car jacking & now one has a hostage crisis for a kidnapping charge. I get that it all ended well after 7 hours, that what actually happened vs potentially could’ve happened are 2 vastly different scenarios. If I’m FCSO HR department, that’s the gravity of the investigation into why this happened, “I fell asleep on the job.” Doesn’t look good in the report. If it’s true or not, an excuse that was offered in the heat of investigating the incident.
“Early Saturday morning, Palm Coast residents got an alert on their phones and by email that Romine had escaped from the hospital. What the alert did not say is that the deputy guarding him had fallen asleep, as a person closely familiar with the incident at the hospital told FlaglerLive, and that Romine, who was in the in-patient ward, got up and walked out.”
Just thinking 🤔 says
How does a paid police officer fall asleep while guarding a fellon ?
Even Barney Fife didn’t fall asleep when on duty
Skibum says
Thank you for being observant… you still have a good eye! I heard that an employee at the gas station also noticed the escapee run into the brush between the gas station and the onramp to I-95 and reported him, so if that is the case, there were multiple citizens who helped get this idiot back behind bars where he belongs.
Denise says
TOTALLY AGREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let Ohio deal with him, we don’t need him around here.
Dave says
You forgot to blame Biden.
FlaPharmTech says
What a very good boy, K9 Neo!!! I much prefer dogs these days to humans, case in point this deadbeat dude who’s back in custody. And DD gets complimentary healthcare courtesy of tax payers. I had to visit Centracare yesterday for an injury and shelled out $229 cuz deductible not met. Xrays will be more $$$$. This is a tangent, but the middle class is incredibly squeezed $$$$. And no, it’s not Biden’s fault.
JimboXYZ says
The deputy that allegedly fell asleep served previously as an SRO at Buddy Taylor.
todd hutcheson says
Thanks for helping put him back where he belongs. Not in my home or neighborhood.