A Century man was arrested Aug. 26 after an investigation into incidents in early July resulted in charges that include felony fleeing and eluding, passing counterfeit money and grand theft auto.
Antonio Demetrius Ewing, 28, 20 West Highway 4, faces grand theft auto charges after he borrowed his sister-in-law's vehicle July 4, 2018, and did not return it to her on time, according to an Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office report.
Ewing's sister-in-law, Amber Austin, reported her Chevy Cavalier stolen in the north Century Boulevard area. A deputy spotted the vehicle and identified it as Austin's and motioned for it to stop and he complied.
The report said the deputy made contact with the driver, later identified as Ewing, and asked him who the car belonged to. Ewing told the deputy it belonged to Austin and that he was borrowing it. The officer asked for identification and Ewing stated he did not have a driver's license and that he was oly going to the local store to buy a drink. The officer asked for the vehicle's registration and Ewing said he thought it was in the glove box.
The report stated that as Ewing was looking in the glove box for the registration, the officer called in the vehicle's VIN number and was attempting to get the back license plate number when the suspect drove off at a very high rate of speed, squealing tires and running a stop sign before making a right hand turn to travel south on Jefferson Avenue. The deputy did not pursue and learned the vehicle he had stopped did match the stolen vehicle and that Ewing was the suspect who stole the car.
A records check confirmed Ewing's driver's license had been suspended and was currently suspended indefinitely in August of 2010. Ewing also faces misdemeanor charges of driving while license is suspended and obstructing justice without violence for that incident.
On July 15, deputies responded to Odom's Bar on the bar side where counterfeit bills were passed by Ewing to an associate, Montaio Mitchell, who passed the bills to an employee as she was working the bar that night.
The report said the employee told authorities the first time Ewing asked for change for the $5 cover he was provided with $95 change and shortly after Ewing asked her to change another $100 bill, which she did.
On July 16, deputies returned to Odom' Bar in reference to the same incident. As they arrived, Ewing was leaving the bar. When deputies attempted to make contact, Ewing fled on foot and was not pursued. Deputies spoke with Mitchell, who told them he had a converstion with a person he identified as 'Lil Meaty' about meeting at the bar. 'Lil Meaty' was identified as Ewing, the report said.
On July 17, deputies responded to Odom's Bar in reference to a suspect who was inside the bar who had several days before passed a counterfeit bill. The suspect ran away from the bar when the deputy arrived and was unable to be located.
On July 31, a photographic line up was prepared and presented to another employee, who identified Mitchell as the person who passed the counterfeit bill to her through the drive thru window.
On Aug. 3, a photographic line up was prepared and presented to first employee, who positively identified Ewing as the person who had passed the two counterfeit bills to her at the bar on July 15, 2018. The counterfeit bills were seized and placed into evidence, the report said.
Ewing was arrested Aug. 26 and transported to Escambia County Jail and being held without bond. Ewing was on probation at the time of his arrest.
