For Justin Aldrich, it was the second alleged burglary in five days, and the second arrest in five days.
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies got alerted to a possible burglary at 3 Louisiana Drive in Palm Coast just after midday Saturday (July 27). Rushing there, a deputy found a red 2007 Dodge Nitro in the driveway of the residence.
As the deputy was approaching the vehicle from the back, he spotted a white man, bare-chested and wearing red gloves, “cross the front portion of the vehicle from the 1/4 side of the residence.,” according to the deputy’s report. The deputy, Robert Lentino, had his gun drawn and was giving the man verbal commands from from behind the vehicle.
The man was Justin Aldrich, a 41-year-old resident of 269 Beachway Drive in Palm Coast who until Saturday had no imprints in the county’s judicial or jail records. But he’d been arrested just last week, on July 22, in Volusia County–on a burglary and grand theft charge, each a felony. He’d bonded out. It was his first arrest there. By day’s end Saturday, he had his first arrest in Flagler, too.
Aldrich allegedly would not respond to Lentino’s commands to step away from the Dodge. Instead, he got in the car and tried to close the driver’s side door even as the deputy reports he “attempted to stop him from closing the door by placing my left hand on the base of the door. ”
As Aldrich began to accelerate in reverse, the deputy backed away from the vehicle and provided a description of the vehicle and partial tag to the 911 dispatch center. Aldrich sped off, going east on Matanzas Woods Parkway. Before long other sheriff’s units had eyes on the Dodge.
A deputy saw the Dodge exit 1-95 at Palm Coast Parkway westbound and set chase, with witnesses seeing the patrol car speeding significantly along the parkway by Boulder Rock Drive as the deputy attempted to carry out a traffic stop. The Dodge didn’t stop despite the deputy’s emergency lights and sirens.
“A brief pursuit was authorized due to the forcible felony (Burglary),” the arrest report states, but “the pursuit was terminated due to a concern for the safety of the public but a temporary tag was obtained, which was registered to Justin Aldrich.” (The Louisiana Drive house showed signs of forced entry: the back door’s glass had been broken.)
The vehicle tag was entered into the license plate reader system, which operates at key intersections in the city and has frequently been successful in detecting stolen cars or vehicles sought by law enforcement. The Dodge triggered a hit from Palm Coast Parkway. Fire Flight, the county’s emergency helicopter, launched from the county airport to assist in the search, quickly located the Dodge traveling west on Palm Coast Parkway.
The vehicle was observed pulling into the Palm Coast Post Office, where Aldrich got out of the car from the driver’s side. “Deputies then flooded the area and placed Justin under arrest without incident,” the report states. He was the car’s only occupant.
Lentino positively identified Aldrich as the man he’d allegedly seen in the L Section.
Aldrich was charged with burglary and fleeing and eluding law enforcement, each a felony, and resisting arrest, a misdemeanor. He was booked at the Flagler County jail, where he remains on $25,000 bond.
Vicki Jacobovitz says
NOW will you keep him off the streets? Please? Enough is enough.
Dano says
Um, this ain’t the guys first, second or third rodeo! Read the entire article. This was in 2011 back in the Carolina’s. http://crimeclt.blogspot.com/2011/04/
Steve says
Justice for Justin, nice Resume build.
atilla says
He doesn’t have time to sit down and rest when he goes through that revolving door.
deb says
“”For Justin Aldrich, it was the second alleged burglary in five days, and the second arrest in five days. “, what a hell of a justice system we have in Flagler County. But I guess they let him out since he didn’t have any weapons. The free door to justice, get arrested, get food , a place to stay for the night and off ya go back to your fun day of crime only to repeat it day after day.
Stretchem says
Once again another white man lives to tell the tale of his havoc on both law enforcement and citizens. Not even a single bruise on his face. A black man would either be in the morgue or still recovering in the hospital. A black man certainly wouldn’t have a paltry $25k (ie: $2500) mama come get me bond!
Two justice systems in America.
Mark says
The two justice systems are rich and poor. The problem is rich and poor not black and white. Quit trying to divide via race. Maybe we can solve the problem when the problem is correctly identified.
Stretchem says
@Mark, bruthuh, are you saying this ass-clown is rich? Thus not justified to getting shot by the police while attempting to run them or anyone else over? Not aware of too many rich guys out burglarizing people and hopping into their 12 year old getaway Dodge clunkers.
Did a black deputy not send this loser to our maker?
Did a black judge grant the ridiculous low bail?
Did a black district attorney fight for higher bail?
Did a black defense attorney fight for a lower bail?
This whole episode (and the one last week) demonstrates the imbalance that exists in our law enforcement and justice systems, purposefully or not, conscientiously or not, that white people receive preferential treatment.
The divide is clearly by race. Your ignorance to that fact is why we continue to have these issues. America was born racist, and continues to be racist centuries later. Yes, we can solve the problem when the problem is correctly identified.
Mary Fusco says
Maybe what would be better if all the Mommys whether they are white, black, purple or whatever, could teach their children that they need to work for what they want. Stealing what someone else worked for is unacceptable. I say lock him up and everyone else like him.
Outsider says
Stretchem, I guess you missed this one. Another hole in your theory.
https://flaglerlive.com/138603/henry-brock/
Dave says
We need to do something about the police engaging in high speed chases on our city streets. This has been discussed in length in Flagler County and the citizens DO NOT want high speed chases on our streets. Please disengage any high rates of speed within the city and catch your bad guy another day. A simple burglar is not worth the life of an innocent family being crashed into.
Anonymous says
The deputy before getting out of his vehicle should have called the plate in along with the description, and the race issue is played out with me . I doubt that judges here , when a black person is standing before the bench , said oh I have a black person let me pull out the CPL (criminal procedural law or penal law books) for the black race. Stop dividing the country, my sister married a Hispanic 27 years and my brother married a beautiful Educated and Respectful black woman from a good family with a mother and father always there so I don’t buy it
ASF says
This guy has been at this game for a lot longer than has been indicated in the article. His fingerprints should be on file.
Barney Fife says
This guy clearly likes jail more then society.I get it,3 squares a day and a cot.Poor schmuck is probably thinking, what’s it take to get incarcerated around here?Come on, I want to go home.Judge wags his finger at him, again and says,”I told you to stop doing that.How’s that working out judge?
Stretchem says
@Outsider, I don’t have a “theory” on the racial biasness that exist in the American justice system. It’s fact. Proven. Undeniable. Unquestionable. The data says so.
But I do have a “theory” about your own racism. Your own shallow minded ignorance for going and Googling a small contradicting sample and spewing it as some sort of documented proof to support your elitism.
My “theory” would extend to your very likely old whiteness wearing a MAGA hat while eating your boogers.
Palm Coaster says
Racism and sexism are still alive and well. You’re delusional if you don’t think so.
Concerned Citizen says
LOCK HIM UP…forever!
A.J. says
Hi Stretchem, I agree racism still exist in the world. A majority of white folk act like it does not exist. A person just drive away after the cop day stop. A person of color would get shot or killed. The cops would say he was resisting arrest. This white has a bad history & still drive away. White people get too many chances at doing wrong. The cops will say I feared for my life I thought he had a gun. Men of color are used for target practice by white cops & white people. What a shame.
West side resident says
Yes the bad guy got caught. Yes he violated the law. But when are we going to address the issue of chasing this person through the streets of Palm Coast at 80+ miles an hour. At what point do we say the danger to the general public outweighs the arrest. Have we not learned from our past. Chasing people down populated streets in the city of Palm Coast at those speeds is absolutely unacceptable. This is what the sheriff is pushing for. Everyone jumps on the bandwagon and says great job. What is going to happen when a child steps out in the street chasing a ball in front of one of these cars traveling two to three times the posted speed limit. The sheriffs office policy does not allow pursuits for a property crime. All we are doing is rolling the dice, one of these times it is going to end badly. Enough is enough, there is smarter ways to catch the bad guys. We have all this technology, helicopters and unmarked vehicles. Use them appropriately and do not put the general public at risk anymore just to make the highlight reel.