Dead-End Turn Leads To 4 Trafficking Arrests

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL — A 20-year-old Hudson man’s alleged Wednesday afternoon decision to flee from a traffic stop in New Port Richey ended with a turn down a dead-end street and four arrests. Police say they seized drugs, a loaded gun and $1,845 in cash from a backpack tossed from the car.

The incident that led to Brandon Joseph Leissner’s May 3 arrest began just before 2 p.m. when New Port Richey Cpl. Pascalli spotted a gray 2014 Hyundai traveling at an “excessive speed in the area of Arthur Avenue and Madison Street,” an email from the police department said.

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Pascalli flipped on his emergency equipment, but the Hyundai’s driver accelerated, police said. A brief pursuit began at the time, which was joined by Detective Corbino.

Police say at some point during the chase, the people inside the Hyundai tossed out a light blue Tampa Bay Rays backpack. Corbino stopped to retrieve the backpack and then resumed the pursuit, the email noted.

The chase continued with the Hyundai going at a “high rate of speed,” but ended abruptly when the car turned down a dead-end road.

That turn led to Leissner being brought into custody “immediately,” the agency's email said. One of the Hyundai’s passengers, Dylan Stiles, 21, tried to flee, but was “tackled shortly thereafter.”

Inside the car, police found Alyssia Iris Pena, 18, of New Port Richey and Alexis Crisci, 19, of Spring Hill. Police say the two women did not flee, but noted that “no one in the vehicle cooperated with the investigation.”

When the backpack was opened, police say they found 125 packets of Spice, weighing 1,567.40 grams. They also recovered 9.2 grams of crack cocaine, a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic and $1,845.

Since no one cooperated, police say they charged all four with armed trafficking in synthetic marijuana, possession of cocaine and carrying a concealed firearm. Leissner was also charged with aggravated fleeing to elude. Stiles is listed as an absconder with the Florida Department of Corrections, the email noted. Considering his prior felony conviction, he also faces felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition and violation of probation charges.

Further information is not yet available.

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Photos courtesy of the New Port Richey Police Department