August 4, 2006
Brandon Haught
Public Information Office

STOLEN PATROL CAR RECOVERED; ESCAPED PRISONER STILL AT LARGE 

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man who had stolen a marked patrol car Saturday night after being arrested in Daytona Beach for open warrants. The patrol car was found abandoned early Sunday morning in Ormond Beach, but the escaped prisoner was still at large.   

A deputy was flagged down at approximately 8:30 p.m. due to a verbal argument going on in the parking lot of a Burger King at 2453 W. International Speedway Blvd. During the deputy’s investigation, it was discovered that Walter J. Nutt had open warrants, one out of Pinellas County for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and the other out of Polk County for violation of probation. Additionally, Nutt and his girlfriend, Rhoda Fowler, were in a pickup truck that had been reported stolen out of Marion County on Friday. Attached to the truck was a trailer hauling two jet skis that had been reported stolen out of Polk County on July 28. Nutt also had a suspended driver’s license. 

Nutt was arrested, handcuffed and locked into the back seat of the deputy’s patrol car. With the man secured, the deputy continued his investigation into the stolen truck and jet skis. That’s when the patrol car suddenly sped out of the parking lot. The deputy immediately reported the theft, and all nearby law enforcement officers converged on the area to begin the search for the patrol car. A Sheriff’s Office helicopter was quickly dispatched, and all surrounding agencies and counties were notified. There were no weapons in the patrol car. 

At this time, Fowler told deputies that another man had been with her and Nutt that evening. Based on her information, it was surmised that this unidentified man might have gotten into the patrol car and driven away with Nutt still in the back seat. It was later determined, though, that Fowler had lied about the man. 

During a routine patrol at about 4:15 Sunday morning, Ormond Beach Police Officers found the stolen patrol car behind Kalin Home Furnishings, 280 S. Yonge Street, Ormond Beach, about 11 miles away from the original location. The metal grate that separates the back seat from the front had been kicked through, indicating that Nutt had managed to get into the front seat and drive himself away. The handcuffs Nutt had been wearing were found inside the car. 

There were signs that Nutt may have tried stealing a vehicle that was parked behind the furniture store. Nutt’s whereabouts are unknown, and it is possible that he had obtained another vehicle and left the county. 

Nutt is a 29-year-old white male, 5’7” tall and weighing about 190 lbs. (this is a correction to previously released height and weight information). He has brown hair and brown eyes, and several tattoos, one of which is a peace sign on his left shoulder. He has a Lakeland address listed on his suspended driver’s license, but it’s not known if he’s lived there recently. 

Fowler, 33, was charged with resisting an officer without violence and violation of probation. She was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach. The Daytona Beach Police Department is conducting an investigation into the stolen truck and jet skis, which may result in additional charges. 

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at (386) 248-1777 or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida toll-free at 1-888-277-TIPS. Callers to Crime Stoppers will remain anonymous and can qualify for a reward of up to $1,000.