Flagler County Sheriff’s Office inmate, Anthony Romine, made a daring escape on Saturday, July 27, while receiving treatment at AdventHealth Palm Coast.
However, Romine’s freedom was short-lived, as he was captured [1] just seven hours later in a nearby wooded area and is now back in custody at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility.
The fugitive, 29-year-old Romine, was apprehended near the Amoco gas station close to the southbound ramp at Interstate 95 and State Road 100 in Palm Coast.
Thanks to the vigilance of a gas station clerk, who reported seeing Romine in the store and asking to use the phone, authorities were alerted to his presence in the area.
Deputies from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, accompanied by a K-9 patrol team, tracked and located Romine hiding beneath foliage and underbrush.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, upon learning of the escape, coordinated an extensive search with the on-duty watch commander at AdventHealth.
Multiple sightings of Romine were reported by concerned citizens, prompting the involvement of various law enforcement units, including the FCSO K-9 Unit, Drone Unit, Flagler County Fire Rescue’s FireFlight helicopter, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office’s Air One helicopter, and bloodhounds from Tomoka Correctional Institution.
Romine’s original arrest on July 3 was based on a felony warrant for Petit Theft, Violation of Pre-Trial Release, and two counts of Counterfeit. After sustaining an injury while in jail, Romine was transported to AdventHealth for treatment.
However, investigative efforts revealed that the inmate had feigned his injury in an attempt to escape and return to his home state of Ohio.
Sheriff Staly commended his team for their relentless pursuit of Romine, stating, “We worked tirelessly to bring him to justice. I commend our team for staying on his trail, and the community for providing valuable information that led to his capture.”
While Romine’s escape resulted in additional charges, including Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer and Resisting without Violence, no one was injured during the arrest, except Romine himself, who found himself on the receiving end of a K-9’s bite.