A Florida man stole two police cruisers and led officials on a multi-county chase that ended with his arrest Thursday, authorities said. Xavier Javern Cummings, 33, remained in jail with no bond Friday after he was arrested on suspicion of burglary, eluding law enforcement, possession of a firearm by a felon, firearm theft, motor vehicle theft, and driving with a suspended license, according to inmate records. It’s not clear if Cummings has a lawyer. The public defender for the area did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday evening. The chase started when Cocoa, Florida, police were called to a disturbance at a hotel and someone took off on a patrol sedan, NBC affiliate WESH of Orlando reported. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement it joined a northbound chase. One of the Volusia cruisers pushed the sedan off Interstate 95, where it became stuck in the woods, the office said. But the suspect got into another Cocoa unit, an SUV, and drove north again, the sheriff’s office said. “He takes a large container of police-issued mace with him,” Volusia Sheriff Michael J. Chitwood told WESH. “And now we continue the chase for another probably 8 or 10 miles.” Police radio traffic revealed there was concern a police gun was in the vehicle. “After units along I-95 successfully deployed stop sticks, the suspect again ran off the highway and into a muddy median around the 258 mile marker,” the Volusia office said in its statement. It was there that Cummings was captured, authorities said. Dennis Romero Dennis Romero writes for NBC News and is based in Los Angeles.
