High-Speed Chase Ends in Crash After Stolen Vehicle Fled Ocala Wawa Gas Station

An Ocala couple is facing multiple charges following a wild high-speed police pursuit that began at a local gas station and ended in a crash and foot chase through the woods on Sunday, January 28, 2024.

The incident began when the Ocala Police Department (OPD) received a report of a stolen vehicle from a Wawa gas station. A short time later, an alert patrol officer spotted the stolen vehicle driving near the 2100 block of W. Silver Springs Boulevard. The officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the driver refused to pull over, initiating a pursuit.

According to police records, the pursuit quickly escalated as the stolen car sped through city streets, reaching speeds in excess of 60 mph. The chase came to an abrupt end when the driver lost control and crashed the vehicle through a fence in the 700 block of SW 24th Avenue.

Following the crash, the two occupants fled the disabled vehicle on foot, running into a nearby heavily wooded area. Officers quickly established a perimeter around the woods to prevent their escape. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) assisted in the search, deploying their Air-1 helicopter unit and a K-9 tracking team.

Thanks to the combined efforts of local law enforcement, both suspects were located deep within the woods and taken into custody without further incident. The suspects were identified as 24-year-old Karlamaris Irizarry Rivera, who was identified as the driver of the stolen vehicle, and 28-year-old Jahaziel Rosell Velez Olmo, who was the passenger. Rivera faces charges including grand theft of a motor vehicle and fleeing and eluding, while Olmo faces passenger-related theft charges.