‘Underground lair’ found below shed during search for felony suspect, Florida cops say
A felony suspect linked to multiple burglaries was caught under odd circumstances, when searchers stumbled onto “an underground lair,” according to investigators in the Florida Panhandle.
The hiding spot was large enough to accommodate the suspect and a cushioned patio chair, among other things, a photo shows.
It was discovered Wednesday, Jan. 8, as the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office searched a home in the Wakulla Gardens community, about a 20-mile drive south from Tallahassee.
“During an extensive investigation of multiple burglaries and grand thefts from residents of Wakulla Gardens, detectives developed probable cause to believe stolen property was secreted at (a) residence,” the sheriff’s office said in a Jan 8 Facebook post.
“Upon executing the search warrant, detectives ... found (a man) hiding in an underground lair concealed under a trapped floor in the shed, in a hole approximately six feet deep by four feet wide.”
The 39-year-old suspect “was extracted,” officials said.
Detectives then recovered “almost all of the stolen items” from two home burglaries and a grand theft case, officials said.
A bag of cocaine was also discovered, along with packaged-up methamphetamine — “consistent with the distribution of illegal drugs,” the sheriff’s office said.
The suspect was arrested on “the two active felony warrants” and charged with:
- Possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell
- Possession of cocaine
- Resisting arrest
- Possession of drug paraphernalia