Story Archive

Endurance Event

Palm Beach County, Fla., sheriff’s deputies spotted a wanted man. Donald Howard, 43, appeared to be working on his car on the side of the road, but when they stopped to speak to him, deputies say, Howard jumped into his car and took off. He drove through the yards of several homes and got tangled in a fence, so he jumped out and ran, and deputies lost sight of him. Howard allegedly broke into several houses to change his clothes and get something to drink. Deputies followed a trail of discarded juice boxes and, incidentally, jewelry and other items allegedly stolen from the homes. The search team grew to 20 deputies, five local police officers, four sheriff dogs, and the sheriff’s helicopter. When Howard was spotted, deputies would order him to stop, but he would just respond “[expletive] you!” and run off again. He finally collapsed 2-1/2 hours later, exhausted, a few blocks from where the chase started. Out of breath, Howard told officers he needed some water, because he was “extremely thirsty from recently smoking crack,” the arrest report notes. Howard’s rap sheet goes back 22 years, but he has always managed to avoid prison. (RC/Palm Beach Post) ...There’s a first time for everything.