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The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has arrested the suspect who beat a man, hit one deputy with his vehicle and threatened another before speeding away and crashing his car into several trees last week on Siesta Key, the office has announced. Stephen Testa, 23, of 205 Fareham Drive, Venice, was booked into the Sarasota County Jail late March 13 after being released from Blake Medical Center in Bradenton, where he was treated for the injuries he sustained in the crash, a news release says. Just after 1 a.m. on March 6, deputies were on foot patrol across the street from Davidson Plaza when the brother of the beating vic- tim came up to them and told them what had happened, the report says. The vic- tim, Christopher Edenfield, 23, was with his brother and two other men, walking to their vehicle in Davidson Plaza, when Testa approached them and asked if they wanted to purchase "molly," or Ecstasy, the report adds. After Edenfield told Testa he was not inter- ested, Edenfield watched as Testa walked up to two women in the parking lot and began harassing them, the report says. Edenfield intervened, the report continues, at which time Testa struck Edenfield in the face with closed fists, knocking him unconscious; Edenfield fell to the pavement. The report says Testa appeared to use a cell- phone to record himself striking Edenfield a second time. When witnesses on the scene confronted him, the report adds, Testa quickly climbed into a black Nissan and accelerated toward the exit of the parking lot. When the law enforcement officers spotted Testa in the Nissan, the report says, Deputy Eric Ellis recognized him from three other incidents that had occurred that night on the island. Ellis was standing near the front of the Nissan when he identified himself as a dep- uty and ordered Testa to exit the vehicle, the report continues. Testa ignored the command and accelerated toward Ellis, hitting Ellis with the front of the car and knocking him onto the hood. Testa jerked the wheel of the vehicle to throw Ellis to the pavement and then turned his car toward Deputy Richard Hardin, who was able to jump out of the way, the news release adds. Testa sped off, so the deputies returned to their vehicles and headed in the direction they had seen him flee, the report notes. They found his car crashed into several palm trees near 948 Beach Road, the report adds, with Testa injured and unconscious on the road. VENICE MAN CHARGED WITH BATTERY COUNTS IN SIESTA KEY INCIDENTS Stephen Testa/Contributed photo Sarasota News Leader March 21, 2014 Page 90