COLUMBIA COUNTY, Fla. — Columbia County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested 57-year-old wanted fugitive Juan Montero on Interstate 75 on Friday after they said an automated license plate reader detected his vehicle.
Montero was wanted on an active warrant out of Alabama charging him with first-degree burglary, menacing and harassment. The arrest followed a regional alert issued around 7:33 p.m. for an armed and dangerous suspect driving a white 2015 Toyota Highlander.
At 8:52 p.m., a FLOCK camera located at the interchange of I-75 and I-10 detected the vehicle traveling southbound. The sheriff’s office said deputies positioned themselves along I-75 South and conducted a traffic stop when the vehicle passed around 9:03 p.m.
Montero was taken into custody without incident. Two juvenile children traveling in the vehicle were checked by authorities and found to be safe and unharmed.
Deputies located a loaded 9mm handgun with a round chambered in the center console, alongside extra ammunition. The sheriff’s office seized the firearm and ammunition as evidence.
Deputies confirmed the active arrest warrant with the Elberta Police Department in Baldwin County, Ala., and Montero was transported and booked into the Columbia County Detention Facility, where he remains held on the outstanding warrant.
The FLOCK-assisted arrest comes just weeks after the Florida Department of Transportation issued a memo revoking permits for ALPR systems, which include FLOCK cameras, on August 31.
FDOT has given law enforcement agencies 30 days to comply. This use case by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office falls within the allowed window.
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