Citrus: Man fled officers in car, on foot, officials say

Man fled officers in car, on foot, officials say

He turned himself in hours after police say they chased him on the road and through some woods.

By PATRICK COOPER

INVERNESS -- A Beverly Hills man surrendered to authorities Thursday afternoon after he led them on a car chase and escaped into woods, reports said.

Rudolph Paul Viola, 22, was held on charges of aggressive attempt to elude a police officer, resisting an officer without violence and reckless driving.

In a report, Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Erik Gonzalez said he was driving on Buttonbush Drive in Beverly Hills when he saw Viola driving at him. As Gonzalez braked and turned on his emergency lights, Viola drove around him.

Viola's fiancee, who was following in her car, and another driver attempted to block Viola with their cars on Roosevelt Boulevard, but he went around them, according to the report.

For about 20 minutes, Gonzalez and eventually a Citrus County sheriff's deputy chased Viola at speeds ranging from 5 mph to 50 mph.

After Viola turned onto County Road 491, the chase got faster, Gonzalez said. But Viola drove off the road after blowing three tires on a spike strip that a sheriff's deputy placed to stop him.

Viola jumped from his car and ran into nearby woods. Officers and trained dogs searched for an hour but they could not find him, Gonzalez wrote in the report.

The fiancee and the suspect's parents told authorities they didn't know why Viola ran away. But about 1:30 p.m., the suspect returned to his home, telling his father he wanted to turn himself in, Gonzalez said.

Viola said he had been running because he had been arguing with his fiancee, according to Gonzalez. After his arrest, he was taken to the Citrus County Detention Facility, where authorities set bail at $5,750.