Deltona Couple Charged After Flee Attempt Endangers 2 Kids

Date Added: March 28, 2018 1:04 pm

Laura Williams
Office of Public Affairs & Media Relations 

DELTONA COUPLE CHARGED AFTER HIGH-SPEED FLEE ATTEMPT ENDANGERS 2 CHILDREN

Sheriff’s deputies apprehended a Deltona man late Tuesday who was wanted on several charges, including endangering two children during a high-speed attempt to elude law enforcement. 

The saga began Friday, March 23, when detectives with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office (VCSO) and the U.S. Marshal Service spotted Danny Pierce, 29, at his girlfriend’s home in Deltona around 3:20 p.m. Pierce had a federal warrant for violation of probation for counterfeiting, and two Volusia County warrants for grand theft and grand theft of a motor vehicle.  Charges of fleeing and eluding, and child neglect were added later for Pierce.

As officers closed in on the home Friday at 1478 Cedar Pine Drive, the girlfriend, Ashley Monti, 27, was serving as the lookout for law enforcement. Pierce quickly escorted two young children into a black  2014 Cadillac and he and Monti jumped into the car. Two detectives attempted to stop the Cadillac in the driveway, with guns drawn but instead, Pierce backed up the vehicle, nearly striking one detective’s vehicle and accelerated into a neighbor’s yard, and took off.  

Detectives did not pursue the vehicle, but returned later Friday to interview Monti, who had returned home with the two children. Neither Pierce nor the Cadillac were there. Monti acknowledged knowing Pierce had warrants for his arrest and that he was being sought. She said the couple was going to buy groceries Friday when detectives closed in. 

Monti described a very fast and reckless flee attempt in which the children were not secured in the back seat and were crying as they were being tossed around the rear compartment. Monti screamed at Pierce to stop and jumped into the back seat, finally managing to clasp their seatbelts. Monti said she thought the vehicle was going to flip because it was traveling so fast. The children were not injured.

On Monday, March 26, Monti told detectives she had not seen Pierce since Friday but said she had received text messages indicating he was suicidal. She was then arrested and charged with two counts of child neglect for her actions as an accessory to help Pierce escape and for allowing the children to get in the vehicle unrestrained with Pierce. Her bail was set at $7,500 – she has been released.

Due to the danger Pierce posed to himself and the community, investigators were again on the hunt for him Tuesday.  Their efforts paid off Tuesday evening when a deputy patrolling in DeLeon Springs saw Pierce driving the black Cadillac. The deputy turned on his emergency lights and sirens to stop the Cadillac but instead Pierce accelerated and began to flee/elude the deputy again.

A K-9 officer and his partner, Argo, along with the sheriff’s Air 1 helicopter, helped track Pierce to an abandoned trailer on Johnson Lake Road.  Pierce was bitten by Argo, transported to Florida Hospital of DeLand for medical treatment and taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail without further incident.

His charges include: possession of drug paraphernalia; two counts of fleeing/attempt to elude; grand theft; two counts of driving while license revoked (habitual); leaving the scene of a crash involving damage; grand theft motor vehicle; fugitive from justice; and two counts of child abuse without causing great bodily harm with no bond. He remains in custody.