Maryland man sentenced to 10 years for stealing tow truck, leading police on chase
PRINCE GEOREGE'S CO., Md. - A Maryland man was sentenced Thursday morning for his role in a February police chase across multiple counties using stolen Maryland State Highway Administration tow truck.
Flavio Cesar Lanuza, 27, of Laurel was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the Feb. 16 chase on the charge of second-degree assault on a law enforcement officer.
Lanuza was credited 301 days for time he has already served, according to the judge’s order. He was also sentenced to an additional three years and 60 days for the remaining charges, including eleven counts of failure to return and remain on the scene of an accident.
The charges stem from the February 16 incident when Lanuza led police on a chase through Prince George’s and Montgomery counties that lasted more than half an hour. With a stolen Maryland State Highway tow truck, Lazuna hit two Maryland State Police vehicles, injuring one State Trooper. Eleven civilian cars were also hit.
The chase began in Prince George’s County, where Lazuna stole the truck. He was recently sentenced to two years related to that charge. According to Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy, that will be served concurrently with the sentence ordered Thursday in Montgomery County.
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"During the course of this chase, as one of the ironies would be, I received a phone call as I was watching it in my apartment. It was from the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney and we watched it together, literally commenting on which she would have jurisdiction, and I would have jurisdiction in Montgomery County," McCarthy said.
The sentence delivered Thursday exceeded state guidelines, McCarthy said. The judge was able to sentence as little as probation with no prison time, or potentially issue a sentence of three years and 10 months. Prosecutors in court said this particular case was an ‘extreme’ situation, posing dangers to the public given Lazuna’s lack of effort to dodge innocent civilians during rush hour traffic on a Friday night.
Though it exceeds the ‘typical’ guidelines, McCarthy said the sentence was appropriate.
"The amount of work that goes into this. When you have hundreds of hours of video to review, and I know we reduced this to a six-minute film for you to see…highlights of this, but it takes hundreds of hours of work to review hundreds of hours of video," he said, referring to the video played in court Thursday.
Dr. Odette Smith-Forte of Silver Spring was heading to Home Depot on the evening of February 16 when she was hit.
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"All of a sudden, I felt this bump in the back of my car. I didn’t know what it was. It pushed me a little to the curb," Dr. Smith-Forte said. "Before that…it continued, and continued, so much that I was on the curb."
An oral surgeon of more than three decades, Smith-Forte said injuries from the incident have prevented her from performing surgeries.
"I can’t use my shoulder, as I should. So, I can’t do extractions anymore. I don’t. That was my job," she said. "I do general dentistry, also. So, I can’t use my shoulder. Even if you hold a jaw, you somehow…I’m righthanded, but you hold the jaw with your left hand and whatnot. My shoulder doesn’t allow that now."
Everyday tasks have also been more difficult, she added.
"My left hip hasn’t been good since. It has affected my sleep terribly. I sleep about three hours a night, where I would sleep normally before. I can’t go back to sleep," she said. "It has changed my life considerably. I know it was God who saved me."
In court Thursday, defense Alex Garcia argued Lazuna’s sentence should be two years citing acute brain trauma at the same of the incident. Garcia also added, his client made a suicide attempt the day prior by consuming engine oil. He also refuted claims Lazuna – who is from Nicaragua - was in the United States illegally, telling the judge he had applied for asylum and was awaiting for a response.
"I just would like to note that I am disappointed and don’t believe the Court sufficiently factored Mr. Lanuza’s serious medical emergency and mental health crisis in sentencing him. Mr. Lanuza, as you saw in court, is extremely remorseful for his actions," an emailed statement from Garcia reads.
Lazuna, speaking through a translator, told the court he regretted his actions and asked for forgiveness.