Probationer Arrested After Attempted Burglary in Palm Coast’s B-Section, Fleeing From Cops

Maurice Godwin is a 35-year-old Bunnell resident almost halfway through his 30-month probation term on a drug charge: he passed the one-year mark on Wednesday.  His Facebook page is one pep talk to himself after another: “Imma stick with Go because he stuck with me when no one else did.” “Don’t let the darkness from your past block the light of joy in your present.” “Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged,” and so on.

Friday evening, something went wrong again.

Godwin, whose previous arrest took place in Alachua County–he was found guilty of possessing more than 20 grams of pot, resulting in probation–was arrested by Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies on a dozen charges following the alleged burglary of the house at 1 Bird Haven Place in Palm Coast.

According to a release the sheriff’s office issued this evening, the resident at the house–which belongs to the resident’s parents, who were on vacation–had returned home at 10:45 p.m. to find a grey Dodge Charger he did not recognize parked in his driveway. After entering the house, he saw a black man running through the house, yelling and grunting at him, as if to scare him. The man quickly ran out, got into the Charger and fled, running over the mailbox at 2 Bird Haven Place along the way.  The alleged victim called 911 and provided a detailed description of the incident. Inside the house, there’d been damage to the back sliding glass door (a gardening tool was later found in the alleged assailant’s car), drawers had been pulled out and spread out on the bed in the master bedroom.

Less than 15 minutes later a sheriff’s deputy and a Bunnell Police Department officer stopped the Charger in the area of West State Road 100 and East Black Point Road. After the car pulled over, the deputy made contact with the driver, asking for his driver’s license and other documents, and as he did, the driver sped away at speeds in excess of 100 mph.

Minutes later, another deputy observed the Charger operating without headlights and speeding in the area of County Road 15 and West State Road 100. As the deputy attempted to catch up to the car, he noticed the car’s brake lights come on and turn to the right. Stop sticks had been placed in the road near State Road 100 and County Road 302.

When the deputy arrived where he had seen the car turn right, he discovered that the car had crashed into the guardrail near CR 45 on West SR 100. After the deputy exited his car, he could hear someone running in the canal along SR 100. Deputies were able to catch the man and arrested him without incident.

It was Godwin, of 4600 East Moody Boulevard, unit 19E, where he’d moved in mid-September. The resident at Bird Haven Place was brought out for a “show up” to identify the car as the one that had been parked in his parents’ driveway, which he did.

Godwin was charged with burglary of a structure, burglary of an occupied dwelling, felony theft, both aggravated fleeing and attempting to elude and fleeing and attempting to elude, resisting an officer without violence, criminal mischief, possession of burglary tools, possession of less than 20 grams of pot, violation of probation, driving with a suspended license, and on an Alachua County warrant for failing to pay child support. His bond as of this evening totaled $24,585. He remains at the Flagler County jail.

In January Godwin had shared a meme on his Facebook page that concluded: “Stop trying to be a tough guy… the people you trying to impress are only going to give you R.I.P.’s in return. Is it worth it.”