Tiffini Theisen
Orlando Sentinel
SPRING HILL, Fla. — Over a period of two days, deputies chased a suspect on foot, with a patrol car, with a K-9 and finally in an airboat before finally capturing him in Spring Hill.
Gary Francis Molloy ran, biked and swam in a lake away from authorities, but was finally arrested after deputies caught up with him in an airboat as he tried to elude them in the water, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.
Molloy, 36, later admitted he should have come back and said he had made the biggest mistake of his life by not listening and continuing to swim away, the sheriff’s office said.
The following account was given by the sheriff’s office:
Molloy already had a warrant out for his arrest when a deputy saw him riding a bike the morning of October 24 in Spring Hill.
Molloy biked away and picked up speed as the deputy followed him, activating his lights and siren. The deputy got out and chased Molloy on foot, continuing to run after the suspect as he lost control of the bike and began running.
Molloy struck the deputy when the officer caught up to him, and then was able to get away.
The next morning, Molloy fled again after another deputy saw him riding another bicycle. Backup was called, and a sergeant saw Molloy in the middle of a lake behind some homes.
After Molloy ignored numerous deputies and detectives who ordered him to surrender, the department deployed its airboat and a K-9 team, which allowed them to finally capture the suspect.
Molloy was arrested on several charges and jailed.