Undocumented Immigrant Who Stole State Tow Truck After Crashing Vehicle Enters Plea

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — A Laurel man who stole a state tow truck and led Maryland State Police on a chase from Prince George’s County into Montgomery County in February has pleaded guilty to assault on an officer and several other charges, Montgomery County court officials said Thursday.

The incident unfolded shortly before 5 p.m. Feb. 16 when Maryland State Police were called to a four-vehicle hit-and-run at the inner loop of Interstate-495 at the Greenbelt Metro Station. One of the drivers, who was operating a Ford Ranger, fled the scene. According to a preliminary investigation, Cesar Flavio Lanuza, 27, drove into the I-495/I-95 Park and Ride lot where it went off the road and hit a guard rail.

A SHA CHART vehicle responded to the scene to check on Lanuza but he hopped out of his Ford Ranger and stole the SHA tow truck. Troopers from the College Park Barrack attempted to stop Lanuza on the outer loop of I-495, but he then hit two vehicles and fled the scene. According to investigators, troopers found the vehicle around 5:50 p.m. in the area of Briggs Chaney Road at Greenmount Road in Calverton, Patch reported previously.

The SHA tow truck entered a parking lot off of Beltsville Road at Calverton Road, ran off the road and hit a pole attached to a powerline. Lanuza then rammed a Maryland State Police vehicle and several other vehicles before heading onto Priscilla Road in Montgomery County.

Maryland State Police and Montgomery County Police captured Lanuza around 6:30 p.m. after the tow truck broke down in the 10700 block of Columbia Pike in Silver Spring. The Maryland State Police Aviation Command also assisted in the search for the suspect.

Lanuza, a Nicaragua national, is in the country illegally, officials later confirmed.

On Thursday, Lanuza pleaded guilty to assault on an officer, fleeing from police and eleven counts of failure to remain at the scene of an accident, court officials said. He faces up to 14 years and 10 months in prison. Lanuza is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 12.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in February that it wanted to take custody of Lanuza, according to a report from FOX 5 DC. ICE's Baltimore field office director Darius Reeves confirmed with FOX 5 that Flavio Lanuza is from Nicaragua and there's a detainer against him with the Montgomery County detention center.