ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FLORIDA — A Jacksonville man previously arrested in connection with the theft of a $250,000 utility truck was arrested again after troopers recovered two stolen tractor-trailers and stolen cargo at a St. Johns County truck stop, according to an arrest report.
The latest case began Sept. 14 after Georgia State Patrol alerted the Florida Highway Patrol’s Cargo Theft Task Force that a stolen 53-foot trailer loaded with automobile tires might be heading south from Georgia on Interstate 95.
Stolen Trailer Spotted on I-95
At about 7:30 p.m., an FHP detective spotted a white Hyundai trailer matching the stolen trailer’s description near mile marker 334.
Investigators said the trailer had a Florida license plate that was registered to a different trailer.
The trailer was being pulled by a white International tractor. Troopers said it was traveling with a Freightliner hauling a green shipping container.
According to the report, the two trucks repeatedly changed lanes together before exiting at County Road 210 and stopping at the TA Travel Center.
One Driver Detained, Second Driver Flees
Troopers detained the driver of the International, identified as 42-year-old Eugenio Gonzalez-Merlo of Jacksonville.
The driver of the Freightliner allegedly abandoned the second truck and fled on foot.
Authorities searched the immediate area but did not find him.
Stolen Semis and Cargo Recovered
Investigators determined that both tractors and both trailers had been reported stolen to law enforcement agencies in Florida and Georgia.
Troopers recovered a load of automobile tires from the white trailer and lithium-ion batteries from the green trailer.
The value of the recovered cargo was not disclosed.
Troopers also allegedly found a folded $1 bill containing a white crystalline substance in Gonzalez-Merlo’s wallet.
Prior $250K Utility Truck Case
Gonzalez-Merlo had previously been arrested in August 2021 after Flagler County authorities accused him of stealing a Freightliner utility truck valued at approximately $250,000 from a Palm Coast hotel.
In that case, deputies said a GPS tracker led them to a location about five miles away, but investigators found only the tracker and other equipment stripped from the truck.
The utility truck remained missing at the time of that arrest.
Felony Charges Filed
Gonzalez-Merlo was booked into the St. Johns County jail on two first-degree felony grand theft charges involving property valued at $100,000 or more.
He also faces a drug possession charge.
No additional details were immediately released about the second driver who fled.
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