VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The man accused of stealing two police cruisers and leading law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit in two counties had a bizarre outburst in court on Friday.
Xavier Cummings is being held in the Volusia County Jail on two counts of grand theft of a motor vehicle, two counts of grand theft of a firearm, escape as well as other charges.
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READ: Suspect in custody after stealing Cocoa police cruiser, leading to chase
When a judge denied Cummings bond on Friday, he had an outburst that caused him to be removed from the courtroom.
“Illuminati, help!” Cummings shouted.
Deputies said Cummings told them following his arrest that he was given permission to take the Cocoa patrol car through mental telepathy.
The report indicates Cummings showed signs of experiencing mental-health issues, stated he used crystal meth earlier in the day, and had not slept in approximately 24 hours.
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Cocoa police said the two officers whose cars were stolen are working their normal shifts on Friday.
The department said one has worked there more than 10 years and the other 15 years.
The police chief is reviewing the incident to see if any violations occurred and if any changes need to be made to the department’s polices.
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The chase caught on a Volusia County sheriff’s helicopter video began when Cocoa police responded to a report of a disturbance near a Cocoa motel on Thursday afternoon.
Investigators said when officers confronted Cummings, he jumped into an unattended patrol car and drove away.
Several Cocoa police officers then pursued Cummings on Interstate 95 into Volusia County before forcing the stolen cruiser off the road and into the woods between Edgewater and New Smyrna Beach.
When officers moved in to arrest Cummings, he emerged from the woods and jumped into another Cocoa Police Department vehicle and continued fleeing northbound on I-95, police said.
Around 4:15 this afternoon, deputies were alerted to a stolen Cocoa Police Department vehicle entering Volusia County on...
Posted by Volusia Sheriff's Office on Thursday, May 6, 2021
Police and deputies used stop sticks to disable the second police cruiser. At which point, Cummings was taken into custody without further incident.
No officers or deputies were injured.
Cummings is being held in the Volusia County Jail without bond.
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