INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A 41-year-old man accused of stealing a leaf blower was arrested after he led deputies on a high speed chase after the burglary, Indian River County deputies said.
Cory Antonio Brown, of the 1000 block of 25th Street Southwest, Vero Beach, was charged with burglary of an occupied dwelling, grand theft, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. He is being held at the Indian River County Jail on $52,500 bond.
Cory Antonio Brown
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Shortly before lunch time Sunday, deputies went to a home in the 1000 block of 26th Avenue in response to a burglary. Deputies spoke with a woman who said she saw a man, later identified as Brown, walk under the awning of her home, grab her leaf blower worth $350 and walk away.
She said she ran outside and yelled “Stop. That’s mine,” and Brown then ran toward a pickup truck with a wooden trailer attached to it. Brown got into the truck and drove away, deputies said.
Deputies received information that a vehicle similar to Brown’s pickup was involved in two crashes shortly after. A caller told deputies a truck was driving recklessly at a high rate of speed on southbound 27th Avenue. Just how fast the vehicle was going was not immediately available.
The truck then crashed into a stop sign worth $200 at the 27th Avenue and 1st Place intersection. The driver then fled the scene westbound on 1st Place and did not call deputies to report the crash.
The caller told deputies he continued to follow the truck as it went westbound on 1st Place and then southbound on 32nd Avenue to 1st Street Southwest. The driver ran several red lights before crashing into the back of a stopped vehicle at the intersection of Oslo Road and 20th Avenue Southwest, according to authorities.
The caller remained at the scene of the crash just in case the driver tried to flee on foot, deputies said.
Deputies took the woman whose leaf blower was stolen to the scene. She positively identified the truck driver as Brown and the truck and the trailer as the same vehicles used in the burglary. She also pointed out to deputies that her leaf blower was in the bed of Brown’s truck.
Brown was taken to the Indian River Medical Center with minor injuries, deputies said. The driver and passenger of the other vehicle were taken to the IRMC with serious injuries.
Brown told deputies he tried to stop the truck before the crash, but his brakes didn’t work.
But, deputies saw visible skid marks on the pavement, indicating the brakes were working properly. Brown was arrested and taken to the county jail for booking.