Florida cops went to a house to arrest a suspect. Then they saw a sign in the window
A Central Florida man wanted on numerous charges thought up a creative way he could evade arrest over the weekend, but was unsuccessful, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The agency says in a Facebook news release that last Saturday around 2:45 p.m., deputies, on a tip, went to the Lakeland home of someone they had been seeking in connection with a series of alleged crimes.
The 41-year-old suspect was wanted on charges including aggravated battery, false imprisonment and tampering.
When they arrived outside his house, about an hour south of Orlando, they noticed a large whiteboard on the window ledge. In blue ink, the message gave the man’s name, followed with: “does NOT live here!!”
In the picture accompanying the FB post, the word “not” was underlined for emphasis.
“One of the worst things about being a cop is you always have to be open to the possibility that people are going to lie to you,” said the PCSO post. “Gee … a dry-erase board never lied to us before —should we believe it?”
A witness leaving the home was asked about the the suspect’s whereabouts, and after being pressed, eventually gave up the goods — that he was inside.
Deputies surrounded the house and began calling out via a loud speaker. This went on for about an hour, with no response. Eventually, the sherifff’s office says “surrender smoke” was dispensed and four people filed out, excluding the suspect.
A second helping of a noxious substance was sent in, but, still, no success.
Eventually, with the help of K-9 Dexter, the man was discovered hiding in a chest of drawers and arrested.
The four folks who weren’t cooperating with the investigation also got arrested and charged with resisting and “an all-expense paid trip to Grady Judd’s Bed & Breakfast,” the nickname for the county lockup.
The post concluded with such comical hashtags as #ItsGettingSoYouCantEvenTrustADryEraseBoardAnymore, #ComeForOneLeaveWithFive, #JailbirdsOfAFeatherGoToJailTogether and #WeAllHaveJunkDrawersButWhoAmongUsKeepsFelonsInTheirDrawers.
