Ferrari stolen during RI armed home invasion tracked down in Florida; 2 suspects arrested

A Ferrari that was stolen during an armed home invasion in Cranston, Rhode Island, three days ago, has been recovered in Florida, where authorities said they took one of two suspects into custody Tuesday. The second suspect was later arrested in Rhode Island.

Cranston police say this whole ordeal started Saturday, when patrol officers were dispatched around 3:20 a.m. to 66 Crest Drive. The residents told officers that two masked men armed with handguns got into the house through an unlocked door and demanded the keys to a 2018 Ferrari Spider convertible that was parked in the garage, as well as a Chevy Corvette.

According to police, it was clear that the suspects had intimate knowledge about the home and the vehicles they were seeking, saying this was not a random act.

The residents of the home, who were targeted, police say, did turn the keys to both vehicles over to the suspects, who left in the Ferrari. The Corvette was found undisturbed nearby, where the owner had parked it.

A Cranston Police Flock camera located the stolen Ferrari in Cranston the day after the incident, but responding officers were unable to find it Sunday.

Detectives were able to identify two suspects, however, one of whom police say had an indirect connection to one of the residents, Cranston police said. He had previously been inside the Crest Drive home and knew where the keys to both vehicles were stored.

Police then issued a bulletin about the stolen Ferrari to surrounding police departments, and several agencies became involved.

A Rhode Island state trooper saw the vehicle and attempted to stop it Monday evening, but the driver led several troopers on a high-speed chase that traversed Rhode Island and Connecticut, before law enforcement eventually lost sight of it.

Later Monday night, New York State troopers pursued the Ferrari, but again the driver evaded capture.

Also Monday night, Cranston police obtained arrest warrants for 20-year-old Jonathan Costa, of Cranston, and 18-year-old Logan Slezak, of Pawtucket, for breaking and entering with felony intent, using a firearm while committing a crime of violence and conspiracy.

Cranston detectives partnered with the state police violent fugitive task force and U.S. Marshalls to work toward apprehending both suspects.

Tuesday afternoon, the St. John’s County Sheriff’s Office in Florida said that deputies were searching for the stolen Ferrari, with Florida registration CCC1, that led authorities on a pursuit on I-95 in Flagler County. The driver was said to be armed and dangerous, and wanted in reference to the out-of-state crime.

Pedro Menendez High School and Southwoods Elementary were briefly put on lockdown as a precaution during the search, but class has since resumed.

Shortly after 2 p.m., sheriffs from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Department in Florida spotted the stolen Ferrari after receiving an alert from a license plate reader. The driver refused to stop for law enforcement and sped away.

A helicopter unit was utilized to track the Ferrari, and though the suspect was able to initially evade capture, he was later tracked to a residence on Royal Palm Lane, where the Ferrari was recovered unoccupied and hidden under a tarp.

There was a heavy law enforcement presence in the area, and people were asked to avoid it.

Sheriffs surrounded the home and were able to take Costa into custody immediately, police said. The second suspect, Slezak, was determined not to have been in the vehicle and was not believed to be in Flagler County.

Cranston police said later Tuesday that Slezak had been taken into custody in Rhode Island.

“This was a difficult case in order to apprehend the suspects because of their reckless disregard and dangerous high speeds over 130 mph to evade capture, putting all law enforcement and the innocent motoring public at risk, along with being armed and dangerous,” Major Todd Patalano said in a press release. “The Cranston Police also thanked the residents and neighbors for their cooperation and patience in assisting us to bring this to a quick conclusion.”

It was not immediately clear if Costa or Slezak had obtained an attorney, when they’re due to make their first court appearances or if additional charges are possible. Further information has not been provided at this time.