The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office reported 29 arrests over the weekend of Feb. 28 through March 2, as thousands gathered for the start of Bike Week activities. Between 6 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Monday, deputies responded to 849 calls for service and conducted 227 traffic stops across the county.
Two incidents during the weekend drew particular attention: a high-speed motorcycle stop on Interstate 95 and an armed burglary connected to a domestic dispute in Palm Coast.
On Feb. 28 at about 6 p.m., deputies arrested Christopher Jacobs, 44, of Tennessee, after observing him riding a black Harley Davidson motorcycle at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour on I-95. A deputy conducting traffic enforcement saw Jacobs traveling southbound at high speed while weaving through lanes, tailgating other drivers, and failing to signal when passing vehicles. The deputy paced the motorcycle at approximately 114 to 116 miles per hour before initiating a traffic stop near mile marker 279.
During the stop, Jacobs told deputies he had a handgun and marijuana inside a saddlebag. Deputies conducted an inventory search before towing the motorcycle and found a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P .38 Special revolver, about six grams of suspected marijuana, and a smoking device with burnt residue. Deputies also determined that the Tennessee license plate displayed on the motorcycle was not assigned to that vehicle.
Sheriff Rick Staly addressed the incident, stating, “Daytona Beach Bike Week is supposed to be a week of wide-open roads and chrome, but guns, drugs, and wide-open speeding are a quick way to turn Bike Week into Jail Week and a stay at the Green Roof Inn. We welcome our visitors, but we don’t condone reckless driving.”
Jacobs was arrested on charges of dangerous excessive speeding over 100 mph, attaching a tag not assigned, possession of cannabis under 20 grams, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to the Flagler County Inmate Detention Facility and later released on $2,000 bond.
In a separate incident early March 1, deputies arrested Ashley Hildreth, 36, of New Hampshire, following what authorities described as a domestic dispute that escalated into an armed burglary.
Around 3 a.m., deputies responded to a home on Baltimore Lane in Palm Coast after receiving a report of a residential burglary. According to the victim, Hildreth had been visiting from New Hampshire. The victim told deputies that after she became “black out” drunk during a disagreement, he informed her she could not return to his home and arranged alternate sleeping accommodations.
Deputies said that while the victim was away, Hildreth entered the home through a rear window. Investigators later found evidence of forced entry, including a removed window screen hidden behind a television and damage inside the residence. Authorities said Hildreth shut off power at the breaker box, disabling lights and security cameras, located a .22 caliber revolver inside the home, and barricaded herself in a bathroom with the firearm.
Deputies made contact with Hildreth as she exited into the garage area. She informed them she was in possession of a firearm. Deputies secured her without incident and recovered the revolver.
Sheriff Staly commented on the situation, saying, “Alcohol and domestic disputes can turn dangerous in an instant, especially when someone forces their way into a home and gets a gun. If you break into someone’s home and take their gun, you are asking for a tragedy. Deputies handled this incident professionally and de-escalated what should never have happened in the first place.”
Hildreth was arrested on charges of armed burglary of a dwelling, grand theft of a firearm, simple battery related to dating violence, and felony criminal mischief. She was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where she is being held without bond.
The weekend marked a busy start to Bike Week in Flagler County, with law enforcement responding to hundreds of calls and making dozens of arrests as events got underway.
The post Bike Week Weekend in Flagler County Leads to 29 Arrests, Including High-Speed Motorcycle and Armed Burglary Cases first appeared on Flagler County Buzz.
