Electric scooter test ride ends in arrest after pursuit through downtown Punta Gorda

Mar 12, 2025

The Punta Gorda Police Department arrested a man for leading them on a chase throughout downtown Punta Gorda on an electric scooter.

Philipp Pfaeffli, the owner of Pedelec Electric Bicycle on Elizabeth Street, said the suspect, later identified as Ronald Baugher, asked to test-ride a brand-new electric scooter. Baugher took the scooter for a test ride that lasted approximately 10 miles, crossing the Peace River Bridge to a McDonald’s in Port Charlotte.

“I called the guy, didn’t pick up, but I left a pretty good message on his answering machine,” Pfaeffli said. “If I don’t see this back ASAP, we’ll call the police, which we actually already did.”

A few minutes later, Pfaeffli said the suspect ran inside the store, threw the scooter on the ground, then ran outside the store.

After returning the scooter, police said Baugher ran inside the nearby Dollar Tree on Cross Trails Plaza, attempting to hide from officers by stripping off some of his clothes in an effort to disguise himself. Punta Gorda police arrested Baugher inside the store for evading capture.

The suspect, identified as Ronald Baugher, was found to have an outstanding warrant out of Sarasota County for stealing lottery tickets in 2020 from a Circle K where he worked.