STUART, Fla. — Three people were arrested after they fled a traffic stop, led police on a high-speed chase and were allegedly caught with trafficking amounts of drugs and stolen credit cards.
It started as a routine traffic stop for Martin County Sheriff's deputies on Saturday night when they tried to pull over 28-year-old Juiber Ochoa on Monterey Road.
But he sped away, aiming to get back to the Interstate. While deputies initially ended the chase for safety reasons, they set up a second attempt to stop him with several patrol cars and tire deflation devices placed on the road, according to a Facebook post.
"Even with deflated tires and a wobbling vehicle, Ochoa sped off once again. The next step, a pursuit intervention maneuver, which effectively guided the wobbler off the road and into an open field," the post read.
Ochoa and passenger 29-year-old Charles Cocuzza then got out of the car and ran away leaving 23-year-old Nicollette Giordano in the backseat. Deputies searched for the two men and found Ochoa first then found Cocuzza hiding in a ditch with help from their K-9 Loki.
Deputies said they found trafficking amounts of fentanyl, meth, MDMA and cocaine in the car as well as a stack of stolen credit cards.
The three were arrested and charged with multiple counts of drug trafficking. Ochoa's bond is set at $1,635,000, Cocuzza's is $1,830,000 and Giordano's is $1,435,250. The trafficking charges carry minimum mandatory prison sentences that could amount to 50 years each, according to sheriff's deputies.
"So, hold the turkey! We know at least three people who won’t be spending Thanksgiving at home for the next 20-30 years," officials wrote.
