Florida sheriff's son was allegedly racing with another car before bolting from traffic stop: affidavit
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - The Seminole County Sheriff's Office released dashcam video Wednesday night after Sheriff Dennis Lemma's 19-year-old son was arrested for allegedly speeding and driving away from a deputy.
Dylan Lemma was arrested and charged with fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer and reckless driving. He turned himself into the John E. Polk Correctional Facility, according to a press release.
Deputy said both cars were racing
The incident happened around 8 a.m. Wednesday in near the intersection of East Lake Drive and Celestial Way in Winter Springs. A deputy said he heard two "loud" cars driving eastbound on East Lake Drive; both engines were accelerating rapidly and the deputy said he could hear them before he even saw them, according to the arrest report.
One of the cars was a Ford Mustang and the other was a white Nissan, according to the report. The deputy said he was led to believe both vehicles were racing.
The deputy did a U-turn to try and initiate a traffic stop on both cars, but they allegedly continued to drive faster. The Nissan slowed down and got into a different lane, while the Mustang sped off. That's when the deputy turned on his lights and sirens to try and pull the Mustang over.
The Mustang, however, continued to accelerate.
As both the Mustang and the deputy approached the intersection of East Lake Drive and Tuskawilla Road, the Mustang swerved, "fishtailed" and momentarily lost control, the report states. The driver regained control, but continued to speed off. The deputy was still trying to pull the driver over, but it continued to drive recklessly down Tuskawilla Road.
That's when the deputy discontinued his traffic stop.
Photo: Seminole County Sheriff's Office
The deputy's license plate reader captured the information of the Nissan driver, which returned results for a young woman.
Dylan Lemma turns himself in
Shortly after, the deputy was contacted by the other driver in this case, who was identified as Dylan Lemma, the son of Sheriff Lemma. He was at the John E. Polk Correctional Facility with his attorney. He was read his Miranda Rights and agreed to speak with the deputy while his attorney was present.
No other details about their conversation have been released.
Lemma was placed under arrest in the interview room and was turned over to correctional staff.
He was charged with fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer and reckless driving.
Dylan's mugshot will not be released due to exemption status.
Photo: Seminole County Sheriff's Office
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Sheriff Dennis Lemma: ‘They are not above the law’
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma released a statement Wednesday about the arrest of his 19-year-old son:
"I firmly believe that my family should be held to the same standard as anyone else in the community, and while I love my son and family dearly, they too are not above the law," he said. "My son and family also understand this, and he has been complying with the investigation. To this end, he has turned himself in at the John E. Polk Correctional Facility on charges of fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer and reckless driving.
"We will have this investigation and the legal process play out in the same way it would with any other member of our community. At the same time, we will also handle this as a personal family matter."