FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — Flagler County authorities are searching for a Jacksonville man accused of stealing a utility truck from a hotel in Palm Coast along with several other vehicles from local areas.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, Eugenio Gonzalez-Merlo, 37, stole a Freightliner utility truck on June 4 from the Fairfield Inn, located at 400 Old Kings Road in Palm Coast.
Deputies said an employee of a national electrical company reported that the Freightliner truck had been stolen from the parking lot overnight. The truck was reportedly valued at approximately $250,000.
Responding deputies were advised of a GPS inside the truck, which showed it had been parked at Old Kings Road and Matanzas Parkway.
When deputies arrived at the location, they found that the GPS system was stripped from the vehicle, along with two bags of various wires, electrical components, a 12-volt adapter, modem, laptop adapter, laptop and an iPad.
The truck was not found at the location.
During the investigation, detectives found that several vehicles from the Jacksonville area were involved in the theft.
One vehicle appeared to be an F-350 and the other appeared to be a smaller sport utility vehicle, deputies said.
Gonzalez-Merlo was identified as the registered owner of the F-350. Authorities currently have a warrant out for his arrest.
Gonzalez-Merlo has a criminal history in Duval County and has been previously charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle and resisting officer without violence, FCSO said.
“We need the community’s help to locate this suspect,” Sheriff Staly said. “If you have any information on his whereabouts, please call us so we can put this guy in jail where he belongs. I commend our team for their detective work and identifying this thief and hope we can locate him so he can face justice. If you see him, please do not approach and contact us immediately.”
Gonzalez-Merlo is charged with grand theft auto for over $100,000.
If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the FCSO at (386) 313-4911 or email TIPS@flaglersheriff.com, or call CrimeStoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS where you could be eligible for a reward up to $5,000.00.
