One man’s alleged abuse and vehicle theft ended with a car chase, crash and arrest in Holmes Beach — all before the sun rose.
Manatee County sheriff’s deputies arrested Melbourne resident Dominic Garcia, 24, Aug. 21 on a handful of criminal charges following the chase.
The charges against him include:
- A third-degree felony for grand theft of a motor vehicle;
- A third-degree felony for battery of a person 65 years of age or older;
- A first-degree misdemeanor for domestic battery;
- A second-degree misdemeanor for operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license;
- Two second-degree misdemeanor charges for leaving the scenes of two crashes involving property damage.
The case began around 5 a.m. when Garcia went to the shared home of his mother and grandmother in Bradenton following his release from Manatee Memorial Hospital, according to the police report.
Garcia’s relatives reported to police he arrived angry and broke down the screen door to the patio.
When his mother opened the door, Garcia allegedly dragged her outside and struck her in the head before entering the home.
Inside, Garcia reportedly struck his mother multiple times before striking his 73-year-old grandmother with a closed fist to her face.
He left after the pair grabbed a frying pan and a small wooden club to defend themselves.
Garcia, who did not have a driver’s license, entered his mother’s neighborhood in a 2024 Ford Expedition stolen out of Palmetto, crashing an entrance gate and also an exit gate — both damaged in his path.
A witness reported the stolen vehicle’s license plate number to police.
A vehicle matching the description was found involved in a hit-and-run traffic incident in Holmes Beach, where Garcia allegedly ran a stop sign and plowed into another motorist at the intersection of Gulf Drive and 39th Street.
The other motorist’s vehicle went off the road and into nearby shrubs, while Garcia — who did not have the stolen vehicle’s headlights on — drove away in the dark.
An MCSO deputy caught up with the damaged and stolen vehicle on Marina Drive and attempted to conduct a traffic stop.
Garcia drove away at a high speed but after about 100 yards lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a median and road sign, then into a fenced tennis court at the Martinique North condominiums, 5300 Gulf Drive.
The vehicle crashed through a fence onto the court and then on the other side, where it came to rest.
Garcia was the vehicle’s only occupant. He was arrested, issued citations and transported to HCA Florida Palmetto Emergency in Palmetto for medical treatment.
He was taken to the Manatee County jail, where he remained in custody under $7,950 bond as of Aug. 24.
If convicted, punishment for a third-degree felony includes up to five years in prison, five years of probation and a fine of up to $5,000; a first-degree misdemeanor includes up to one year in prison, one year of probation and a fine of up to $1,000; and a second-degree misdemeanor includes up to 60 days in jail, six months of probation and a fine of up to $500.
A hearing had not been scheduled to discuss Garcia’s case as of Aug. 22, according to the Manatee County Clerk of Court’s website, manateeclerk.com.