NEWS RELEASE
Weekend Roundup: May 30-31
Date:Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies made 21 arrests this past weekend between 6 p.m. on Friday, May 29, 2026, and 6 a.m. on Monday, June 1, 2026. Deputies handled 722 calls for service and made 149 traffic stops.
Man Arrested for Shoplifting Lawnmowers, Rugs, and Other Items from Lowe’s
On Friday, deputies arrested Peter Slusarz, 46, of Palm Coast after he was identified as the suspect in a string of thefts from a home improvement store in May.
Friday afternoon, deputies responded to Lowe’s in Palm Coast after the store’s asset protection team reported multiple delayed shoplifting incidents with a possible suspect. Working with store employees and reviewing surveillance video, deputies identified Slusarz as the suspect seen shoplifting from the store on three separate occasions.
In each incident, Slusarz could be seen on video leaving the store with multiple items without making any attempt to pay. In total, he was reported to have stolen over $4,100 worth of merchandise, including three lawnmowers, a carpet, three rugs, and other smaller items.
Later that day, deputies located Slusarz at his residence. Deputies arrested Slusarz for retail theft of $750 or more. He was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he was later released on a $10,000 bond.
Peter Slusarz (Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility mug shot)
“This guy was either very bold, very stupid, or both to think he could steal not one, not two, but three lawnmowers,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “This wasn’t his first trip to the Green Roof Inn, and it probably won’t be the last. Maybe he’d like to stay and be part of our inmate landscape work crew, where he’d be under the watchful eye of a detention deputy to make sure he doesn’t take off on our mower.”
Slusarz has a prior history with previous arrests including domestic battery, DUI, and child neglect without great bodily harm.
Man Arrested Following Late-Night Armed Disturbance in R-Section of Palm Coast
In the early hours of Monday morning, deputies arrested James Pudder Jr., 47, of Palm Coast on numerous charges following an armed disturbance in which he threatened multiple people with a firearm and destroyed a victim’s phone, delaying them from calling 911.
Deputies responded to a reported armed disturbance at a residence on Rolling Sands Drive in Palm Coast. The 911 caller, who was not on scene but had been alerted to the incident by one of the victims, reported the suspect, Pudder, was intoxicated and was armed with a gun at the residence making threats. The caller reported there were two victims at the home, a man and a woman. The caller also stated Pudder had smashed the female victim’s cellphone, but she had contacted her to call law enforcement by using another phone.
Deputies arrived on scene and located the female victim, who had fled the residence and was sitting inside a vehicle in the driveway. Deputies then located the male victim inside the home and were able to make contact with him through a window and rescued him from the home.
Deputies attempted to locate Pudder and started making public address announcements for him to exit the residence. Due to Pudder’s criminal history, reported military history, and possibility of being armed, FCSO’s SWAT Team, Crisis Negotiation Team, Criminal Intelligence Unit, K-9 Unit, and Unmanned Aircraft Systems Unit responded. Volusia Sheriff’s Office’s Air One helicopter also responded to assist.
The SWAT Team cleared the residence and determined Pudder had fled. While searching the area, deputies discovered an open door at a house across the street. Deputies then contacted the homeowner, who confirmed Pudder was inside. Deputies then located and arrested him without incident.
James Pudder Jr. (Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility mug shot)
“I commend our team in finding and apprehending this violent and armed individual,” said Sheriff Staly. “This guy has a history of brandishing a weapon and making threats before. It seems clear that he has anger issues he needs to work on, and hopefully he’s given a lengthy prison sentence to give him time to work on that.”
Deputies arrested Pudder for battery, two counts of aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony, kidnapping, robbery by sudden snatching with a firearm, hindering communication to a law enforcement officer, and two counts of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. He was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he is being held without bond.
Pudder has a prior history with previous arrests for charges including burglary, assault, menacing, and DUI.