POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A routine traffic stop turned violent Wednesday evening in Polk County when a Mexican national attacked deputies and attempted to ingest drugs in a failed effort to conceal evidence, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident occurred around 6:02 p.m. on March 19 when detectives pulled over a white Ford Ranger pickup truck on Power Line Road near Snell Creek Road in Davenport. While the driver and front-seat passenger cooperated, the middle passenger escalated the situation, deputies said.
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Detectives observed the man pulling a white baggie from his pocket and attempting to hide it. When they reached in to remove him from the vehicle, the man — later identified as 60-year-old Esteban Fernandez Uriostegui — became violent.
Uriostegui allegedly tried to bite a deputy, elbowed another in the face, and kicked a female detective multiple times in the legs. During the scuffle, he reportedly stuffed the white baggie, later confirmed to contain cocaine, into his mouth in an attempt to destroy evidence.
Deputies were able to subdue and handcuff Uriostegui. In addition to cocaine, they recovered drug paraphernalia. Uriostegui was taken to a local hospital as a precaution due to the possibility that he had ingested the drugs. After receiving medical clearance, he was transported to the Polk County Jail.
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Uriostegui faces multiple charges, including:
- Three counts of Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer (Felony 3rd Degree)
- Resisting an Officer with Violence (Felony 3rd Degree)
- Tampering with Evidence (Felony 3rd Degree)
- Possession of Cocaine (Felony 3rd Degree)
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Misdemeanor 1st Degree)
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd confirmed that Uriostegui is in the United States illegally and that, under a newly enacted Florida law, his charges are enhanced due to his undocumented status.
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“This violent suspect is in the United States illegally from Mexico,” Sheriff Judd said. “Because of that, each of his crimes was enhanced by one degree… U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been notified, which means we should be seeing no more criminal behavior (in the U.S., at least) from this particular individual.”
Thankfully, none of the detectives involved in the altercation were injured.
The arrest comes as Florida continues to enforce tougher laws related to illegal immigration and criminal activity, with Uriostegui’s case highlighting the intersection of those issues in law enforcement encounters.
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