Narcotics trafficker car chase ends near Dupont Center

At 3-minutes past midnight last night, a call came in at the Historic City newsroom from a reader who was reporting the crash of a Silver BMW that had crash-landed upside-down near her home on US-1 south — she had no idea that she had witnessed the end of a high-speed car chase that had started hours earlier.

Flagler sheriff’s spokesman Robert Weber informed Historic City News of the details later this morning as well as the disposition of the two occupants of the vehicle; driven by 49-year-old Thomas Joseph Loncala. According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Loncala resides at 4600 Oakridge Road in Orlando; however, jail records indicate his address is 7435 Sheryann Drive in Orlando.

Flagler officers became aware of the pursuit at 10:53 p.m. last night, at which time the fleeing vehicle and its occupants were traveling on I‐95 north in the vicinity of LPGA Boulevard. Authorities were advised that the pursuit originated in the Orlando area.

A Bunnell city police officer first observed the vehicle northbound on US-1 at the south county line, traveling at speeds estimated to be up to 100 miles-per-hour. Flagler County deputies joined the pursuit and deployed stop sticks at three locations on US-1.

With three deflated tires and running on rims, the BMW cleared construction near Matanzas Woods Parkway — nearly colliding with a construction vehicle. St Johns County deputies joined the pursuit; which, by the time it reached the 7600 block of US-1, had slowed to less than 30 miles-per-hour.

Flagler deputies used a Precision Immobilization Technique with their patrol vehicles, causing the BMW to spin into the ditch and roll onto its roof. The driver and passenger were removed from the vehicle and restrained while the Florida Highway Patrol completed their investigation at the scene.

Law enforcement officers seized $3,396 in US currency, a .25 caliber Raven semi‐automatic handgun, 5 ounces of crystal methamphetamine and 5.8 grams of cannabis; all from inside of the vehicle.

Loncala was charged by Flagler County deputies with aggravated fleeing and eluding, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and trafficking in methamphetamine with a firearm; he remains in custody in the St Johns County Detention Facility in lieu of $10,000 total bond.

The female passenger was not charged and was released at the scene.