FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A man who had multiple active warrants was arrested Monday after leading deputies on a 30-minute, 73 mph chase on Interstate 95, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
A deputy attempting to make a traffic stop at the corner of Seminole Woods and State Road 100 at 5:30 p.m. Monday saw Richard Knoblaugh driving a white SUV and recognized him because of his felony violation of probation warrants, a news release said.
Knoblaugh refused to stop as deputies followed him from a safe distance as he got on I-95 while driving 73 mph, according to authorities. Stop sticks were deployed at the Palm Coast Parkway exit ramp and while they did puncture two of Knoblaugh's tires, he still refused to stop and instead continued to elude deputies at a slower speed, officials said.
Deputies said stop sticks were deployed a second time, puncturing the two intact tires, as Knoblaugh approached Palm Harbor Parkway. Knoblaugh eventually stopped in the front yard of his home on Coolridge Court, where deputies were waiting for him, the report said.
K-9 Valor followed and bit Knoblaugh as he was trying to run inside the home, according to a news release.
“This guy was a wanted fugitive with active felony warrants,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “I’m proud of our deputies for bringing this chase to a successful arrest without any of our deputies or citizens getting hurt. I was monitoring the pursuit, and our supervisors and deputies conducted a textbook pursuit, taking precautions to make sure citizens were not hurt by this dirtbag’s driving or actions.”
Knoblaugh was taken to an area hospital to be treated for the injuries he sustained during the K-9 takedown. Deputies said he has an extensive criminal history with 10 arrests since 2008.
Another resident at the home, Tanya Follmar, was also arrested during the investigation when deputies said they found that she had crystal meth in her possession.
“This house has been a problem house for some time with the owners enabling these offenders under the disguise of trying to help them,” Staly said. “We have received numerous complaints from the
neighborhood on the activities of this house.”
Knoblaugh was charged with driving with a license suspended of revoked, aggravated fleeing and eluding, resisting arrest without violence and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage.