Man found hiding in a vehicle after leading Manatee deputies on pursuit, cops say

A driver deputies believed to be intoxicated led them on a short pursuit Sunday afternoon before a K9 found him hiding in a backyard.

According to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy saw a black SUV driving in the middle of two lanes on 57th Avenue East around 3:20 p.m. Sunday. Traffic in front of the SUV was stopped near the intersection of Fifth Street East, but the driver did not slow down and hit another vehicle before taking off.

Deputies determined the driver may have been impaired and tried to make a traffic stop. However, the driver of the SUV continued, turning east on 61st Avenue East and then west onto 59th Terrace East — a dead-end street, according to a sheriff’s office news release.

No one was inside the SUV when deputies approached, so K9 Boss was used to track and found Cole T. Roach in the backyard of a home, according to the sheriff’s office.

Roach, 30, was found inside a vehicle in the home’s yard and arrested. No injuries were reported.

Roach faces charges of motor vehicle theft, DUI, aggravated fleeing, leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, burglary to an unoccupied conveyance, driving while license suspended third or subsequent offense and resisting or obstructing an officer, jail records show.

Deputies said the pursuit lasted “less than a minute.”