St. Johns County deputies, backed by the sheriff’s air unit, arrested a 40-year-old man Monday after a short but chaotic chase that ended with a stolen car smashed into the woods and the driver bolting into nearby brush. Deputies identified the suspect as Raymond Gray, accused of hitting a victim with a hatchet in an earlier incident.
According to a St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Facebook reel, deputies tried to pull over a vehicle near U.S. 1 and Wildwood Drive after learning it had been reported stolen. Instead of stopping, the driver took off, triggering a brief pursuit. Video from the post shows the SJSO air unit tracking the car from above and directing ground units to a wooded area where the vehicle ultimately crashed. Deputies say they found a hatchet inside the car and that Gray surrendered after they located him hiding in the woods.
Air Unit Guides Deputies to Crashed Car in the Woods
St. Johns County regularly leans on its air unit, K-9 teams and neighboring agencies when suspects run into thick brush or take off in stolen vehicles. Local coverage has highlighted how that mix of helicopters and hounds tends to end pursuits on law enforcement’s terms. As reported by Action News Jax, similar coordination helped officers catch a suspect during a multi-agency chase in 2022.
The sheriff’s office says Gray was booked on multiple felony counts, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, grand theft of a motor vehicle, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement and criminal mischief, according to the Sheriff’s Office Facebook post. Deputies say the aggravated battery charge stems from a Feb. 21 incident near State Road 312 and State Road 307.
What the Charges Could Mean in Court
Under Florida law, aggravated battery, including when a deadly weapon is involved, is a second-degree felony that can carry up to 15 years in prison, according to Florida Statutes §784.045. Other charges listed by deputies, such as grand theft of a motor vehicle and fleeing to elude, also fall under Florida’s felony statutes.
The investigation is still active, and deputies have not released the name of the alleged victim or any additional details about a possible motive. The case is expected to move forward in the local court system and could lead to formal filings by the State Attorney’s Office.
