Man who pleaded guilty in connection with police chase involving stolen tow truck is sentenced

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Maryland (7News) — A Laurel, Maryland, man will be sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty to several charges stemming from a multi-county police chase in February involving a stolen Maryland State Highway Administration tow truck.

Flavio Lanuza, 27, will be sentenced at 9:30 a.m. Thursday in Montgomery County. He pleaded guilty in September to second-degree assault on a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding a marked police vehicle by failing to stop the vehicle resulting in bodily harm, and 11 counts of failing to return and remain at the scene of a accident.

The more than half-hour chase began just before 5 p.m. on Feb. 16 after state troopers were called to a collision involving four vehicles on Interstate 495. The driver of one of the vehicles, later identified as Lanuza, was charged, according to the authorities fled.

After a crash on I-495/95, police said Lanuza jumped into a tow truck that was flagged down to help. Troopers pursued the stolen tow truck in Prince George and Montgomery counties.

Lanzuna struck at least 13 other vehicles during the chase, including Maryland State Police and Montgomery County police vehicles. A civilian and a Montgomery County police officer were taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

Officers were eventually able to corner the stolen vehicle, break the windows and take Lanuza into custody. He was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

7News later discovered that Lanuza, a Nicaraguan citizen, is in the country illegally.

Lanuza faces a prison sentence of up to 14 years and 10 months.